Death and Resurrection
by AngelQueen87
Summary: AH/AU - I've been seeing some weird things after the funeral and I don't know what to think. Maybe I'm going crazy, but I think she's still alive. Drabble, EPOV
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 1**

Exactly one year ago today my girlfriend Bella died right in this very spot.

I was with her when it happened.

I watched as the pain registered in her eyes.

As she told me she loved me.

As she turned limp and fell in my arms.

I don't remember what happened after that. It was like all I could see were her blank, emotionless eyes staring back at me.

According to Emmett and Rosalie they had to pry me away from her body when help finally came. I wouldn't let go of her. I just wouldn't.

Paramedics had announced her dead on the scene.

Three bullet wounds in the back that killed her almost instantly. Rose told me that one of the bullets almost went through her body.

If it did I would have gotten hit, too.

I wish it did, though. Then I would be with her now.

Wherever she is.

But I didn't tell Rose that. She would have guilt tripped me and used my weakest link against me if she did.

_I wish you were here, Bella._

_I wish I was with you._

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><p><strong>So, I'm starting a drabble…I hope you like it. Hopefully I'll be able to update daily.<strong>

**With any luck this goes well.**

**Loved it? Hated it? Tell me in a review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 2**

I looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw my brother approaching. He seemed determined today, almost somber instead of his happy-go-lucky self.

"Ed, man, you need to stop coming back here. Bella wouldn't want you to do this to yourself," Emmett said to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. He seemed almost hesitant. Usually he was willing knock me around like a piñata, but now he's acting like I'm made of glass.

I shook his hand off and looked around me.

It looked the same but not at the same time.

"You wouldn't understand why I do even if I told you, Emmett." He stared at me with a passive expression and I watched as his eyes softened.

"Try me." I sighed and sunk down into the bench beside us. Instantly my hands reached up and started to pull at my hair. It was a nervous reaction of mine.

I looked up at my brother and decided to tell him everything.

He deserved it.

"Ever since the funeral I thought something was wrong. It was closed casket and her family wasn't all that upset. Not even her parents cried. It was weird." Emmett gave me a dubious look and sat down next to me.

"Are you sure or were you seeing things?"

I glared at him. "I'm sure, Em."

He held his hands up in surrender. "I was just asking, Edward. Ever since they told us she was..._gone_, you kind of went loopy." I stared at him and knew he was right.

I wasn't myself those first few days.

I felt like a piece of me had broken away, never to be whole again.

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><p><strong>*Peeks out from behind chair* Did you like it?<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 3**

I remember the first day I had met Bella. Well, officially met her. We had been in all of the same classes since freshman year but didn't really talk. I had always had a crush on her.

She had this simple little necklace around her neck. It was gold and had an intricate golden swan pendant - like her name, Bella Swan - hanging from it.

I had never seen her take it off.

It was always there around her neck.

Even when we made love.

But that night it wasn't.

I thought it was odd that it wasn't there but I didn't say anything.

I looked back at Emmett, shaking off the memory. "Remember the necklace she always wore?"

He nodded, confused.

"Everyone was wearing the pendant at the viewing and at the funeral. I saw it as earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and on cuffs. It was like they were trying to make it obvious that they were one, or something."

Emmett looked at me like I had two heads. "And that's important because?"

"Because, Em, I found this hanging in a tree a month ago," I told him, holding up Bella's necklace.

I stared at the pendant as it swung from my fingers.

I knew she had left it for me. I knew it was my Bella's. Her name was engraved on the back of it.

But the question was, how did she do it when I had watched her die in this very place?

I don't care how she did it. Only that she cares about me wherever she is.

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><p><strong>Sounds a little fishy, doesn't it? Tell me what you think is going on in a review.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 4**

He stared at the necklace with an unreadable expression before taking it. "In a tree? Really?"

I nodded, taking it back from him and putting it back around my neck.

"I went, as you say, loopy because all I could see were memories of her everywhere I went. I couldn't go anywhere without seeing her, Em, and a month after the funeral I started seeing stuff like this," I told him, patting the chain.

He stared at me a beat longer then looked out across the park, leaning so that his elbows rested on his knees. "What did you see?"

"At first I only saw small things, like a girl blowing a kiss to her boyfriend as she ran from him or a young couple carving their initials on a tree." Those were things that Bella and I had done…before she passed away.

To make it worse, the girl had looked like Bella. And I only knew one person who looked like her.

But it can't be who I think it is. Impossible, even.

"Ed?" Emmett waved a hand in front of my face. "You still with me here?" I swatted his hand away, annoyed. I hated when he did that.

He held his hands up in surrender then slowly brought them back down to his lap. "Did you see anything else?"

I nodded, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. "A bouquet of freesia with some strawberries and a box of Bella's favorite candy on Valentine's Day and a cup of my favorite coffee from Starbucks today."

Emmett snorted. "The coffee must have been cold then."

I shook my head. He was wrong. "It was still hot, Emmett, like someone knew I would be here today and left it right before I got here."

"That's creepy, Edward."

"I know that." Those were things that only Bella and I had known.

Her scent.

Her favorite candy that was a guilty pleasure of hers.

My favorite "girly" coffee.

And the gestures that we only ever did with each other.

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><p><strong>And the plot thickens…A hot cup of his favorite coffee in the place she died.<strong>

**I wonder who left it there. Have any ideas who might be leaving these things for him?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 5**

I wake up to the sound of tiny fists banging on my door.

And then comes the yelling. "Edward, you open up this goddamn door right now!" I throw my pillow over my face and ignore her.

Hoping she'll go away.

It's quiet.

Then it's not.

"Edward, I'm serious, if you don't let me in I'm calling Em to do it for me!" She pounds on the door again and again, like she's trying to jackhammer her way into my apartment.

"Edward. Edward, please." She's not yelling anymore, more like begging now, but I'm still not letting her in. Sister or not, she's not coming in here this morning.

I'm just not in the mood to hear her spiel again. I've heard it a thousand times already and one more time isn't going to change anything.

Not today, Alice. Not today.

She pounds on the door once, twice, three times then stops.

All is quiet again. Now I can go back to sleep.

_Back into the dream world where you're still with me, Bella._

Where it's not 6 AM and Alice isn't pounding on the front door on a Saturday morning.

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><p><strong>Yeah, who'd want the pesky pixie banging on the door at 6 in the morning on a Saturday? That's sacrilege!<strong>

**There's been a drop in readers...I'm disppointed :(**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 6**

Two hours later, I'm still in bed, pillow covering my face and blocking the outside world. I'm awake now and Alice stopped her incessant pounding on my door long enough to get a few more hours sleep in.

Maybe she won't come back anytime soon.

The thought is short lived as she starts again a moment later.

"Edward, open the door! I know you know it's me." She keeps pounding and I keep hoping one of my neighbors will ask her to leave.

"Edward, if you don't open the door I'm coming in." I scoff at her idle threat.

Alice doesn't have a key.

And as if she's read my mind, she says, "I have Jasper's emergency key." I huffed and get out of bed, pulling on a pair of boxers as I do.

Alice had the misfortune of finding out that I slept naked.

That's what she gets for coming into my room uninvited.

I shuffle my feet across the cold floor to the door and open it crack. Her stare is unwavering under the glare I'm giving her, but I can see the apprehension in her eyes.

"What do you want, Alice?"

She pushes the door open and walks into my apartment like she belongs here. But she doesn't.

Alice surveys the apartment, taking in the empty sink and clothes that are no longer lying around. She smiles to herself and turns to me.

"Get dressed, we're going out." I nod and don't bother fighting her.

It does no good to fight her.

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><p><strong>Hmmm…I wonder where Alice is going to take him. Only time will tell.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 7**

Alice is babbling, babbling, babbling about everything and nothing under the sun.

I think she's talking about a new book she bought the other day and the date Jasper took her on last night at the same time.

I don't know. I'm not paying attention to her.

She brought me to her favorite coffeehouse in downtown Seattle. I know she didn't bring me here to talk about some inconsequential bullshit that only she cares about.

She still has that hesitant look in her eyes as she speaks and she won't look me directly in the eye.

There's a man and a woman sitting behind her. The woman, no, the _girl_ has her back to Alice but I can see the guy.

He has dark brown hair in a buzz cut and beard that he keeps wiping clean with a napkin after he takes a sip of his coffee from the green mug the waitress brought him. And his eyes were the oddest shade of gray, almost silver. His skin was a smooth caramel brown that oddly went with his obvious African American features.

Dangerous was the first thing that came to mind.

But when he smiled at the girl, I knew that he wouldn't hurt anybody unless they gave him reason to.

"They say that she's staying indefinitely," he said to the girl, smiling at her over the mug.

I heard her sigh over Alice's nonsense. "Yeah. Apparently, they've stopped looking. But we've still got to keep her inconspicuous." I froze.

Her voice…her voice was so much like Bella's.

I brought my hand up to my chest as the other curled into a fist on my knee under the table. It felt as if my there was a stinging pain coming from my heart.

_Can it be you? Can it really be you, Bella?_

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><p><strong>So, who do you think it is? Is it <strong>_**really**_** Bella? Or is it someone else? A family member, even? Or a friend?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own it and neither do you.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 8**

I shake my head and listen to her voice again. "Did you know she kept disappearing a few days at a time? Freaked everyone out."

A sigh of relief escapes my lungs.

It's not her. The voice has too much of a soprano to it, more youthful than Bella's. Like a young teenage girl.

But the things they're saying aren't making any sense. I tilt my head, placating Alice so that she thinks I'm still listening to her.

"Really?" the man asks, casually taking another sip.

"Like you didn't already know," she tells him, sarcasm lacing her words. "She's restless. Wants to leave the house at all hours of the day even when they say no. But I still think she's sneaking out, Art. I swear, she's acting like she's my age again!"

I feel my brow furrow in confusion. They're making no sense.

What, or who, are they talking about?

The man, Art, smirks at her as he pushes the mug away from him and wipes at his bushy beard again. "Who do you think has been helping her?" he asks, his silver eyes shining in mischief.

The girl gasps lightly. "Arthur," she hisses, startled. "Why? Why would you do that after all of that work we did?"

"The same reason that you and your boyfriend did what you did for her all those months ago," he says before standing and walking out of the coffeehouse. The girl sits there for a beat longer before running out the door behind him, screaming out his name.

In the same moment, a napkin with some writing on it floats from their table from the wind she created and lands next to Alice's feet.

I lean down to pick it up and feel all the air leave my lungs.

Distantly, I can hear Alice calling my name but all I can see is the drawing the girl must have made on the napkin.

The drawing is of the same swan from Bella's necklace.

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><p><strong>And the plot thickens! I wonder who the girl is and this mysterious Art she was talking to. Oh, and who exactly is this mysterious "she" they keep talking about. Give me your ideas, I'd love to hear what you think.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own it and neither do you.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 9**

"Edward?"

I feel the breath return to my lungs at the sound of her voice.

"Edward, what's wrong?"

I ignored her and stuffed the drawing into my jacket pocket. It wouldn't do any good to tell Alice. She would tell me it was just a coincidence.

I looked up into my sister's worried eyes and saw concern there mingling with her ever present apprehension as she chewed on her lip. It made no sense. Alice never had problems with telling someone what was on her mind.

She opened her mouth to ask me what was wrong again but I cut her off. "I know you didn't bring me here to tell me about your date with Jasper, Alice."

Her shoulders slumped as if a great weight had been lifted.

And she starts in like I didn't just have a panic attack.

"It's been a year, Edward. I think it's time for you to get back on the dating scene. Bella wouldn't have wanted you to mope around the spot where she was killed all of the time." She barely gets another breath in as she continues her same speech every time. "She would have wanted you to find someone to spend the rest your life with and be happy again." I cut her off again before she can go on with the other half of her spiel.

I can feel my blood boiling under my skin.

How dare she say that?

It all comes spilling out of my mouth. I know she brought me here in hopes of not causing a scene but it's futile when she says those vile things.

I stand, chair scrapping against the linoleum. "You don't know what she would have wanted, Alice, so don't tell me that! I'm perfectly fine by myself. I'm happy, Alice, why can't you accept that?"

She blinks up at me, her mouth closing and opening again with no sound coming out. "Edward…"

I shake my head and walk out.

Alice doesn't understand.

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><p><strong>Wow…he just yelled at her, his favorite sister. More tomorrow.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 10**

I watch as a soccer ball rolls to a stop against my leg. A pair of glove covered hands picks it up and then a voice.

"Sorry about that. Those idiots don't know how to kick the damn thing into the net."

I nod and look up at the owner of the voice. He gives a knowing smile. "Edward?"

"How do you know me?" The boy looks to be seventeen, eighteen, with wavy light brown hair and green eyes that stood out against his tanned skin. He looked familiar, but I wasn't sure.

He shook his head and gave a sad laugh. "It was terrible yesterday, wasn't it?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. Something gold glittered on his wrist.

It was a swan – the Swan swan.

And then I knew who the kid was.

The soccer jersey should have tipped me off.

"Chuck?"

Charles laughs to himself and nodded. "Me and Gigi saw you here yesterday. We were sitting ten feet away from you and your brother but you didn't see us." He looked down, his eyes somber.

"Bella was your favorite cousin." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah, she is." He passed the soccer ball back and forth in his hands and stared at me. It was unnerving. "She loves you, Edward…Never forget that."

I stared at him as he walked off back to his friends and threw the ball back into the game.

He made no sense.

What the hell was he talking about?

Chuck talked about Bella like she was still alive.

_But what were your cousins doing here, Bella? In the place you died?_

My head hurts now. I need a drink.

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><p><strong>More to come tomorrow.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 11**

It makes no sense.

First there were all of those signs at the park. Then there was that conversation in the coffeehouse with that damn _drawing_. And then there were the twins, Charles and Gianna. But more Chuck than Gigi.

I sighed. The entire thing was fucked up if I thought about it.

But the thought was so appealing if I let my mind wander.

I leaned back against the bar and took another swig of my beer, watching the people. They were all happy, carefree, even.

And lustful.

None of them knew what _love_ was. Only lust.

I both envied and pitied them for that.

A girl with blond hair with her tits spilling out of her tight florescent pink dress sidles up next to me. She looks plastic, fake. "Hi there, big boy," she whispers in what she thinks is a seductive voice.

I brush her off and turn back to the bartender. Before I can order another drink, one is placed in front of me.

"From the pretty lady at the end of the bar," he tells me, pointing in the direction of the woman. I look and see that her face is bathed in darkness. She holds her martini glass up in the air.

A toast.

I lift the glass in return and then throw the shot back, never taking my eyes off of her. The tequila burns down my throat like a motherfucker but it feels good.

She lifts the glass to her lips and licks her lips before taking a sip.

And, for the first time in a long time, I feel a stirring in the lower part of my body.

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><p><strong>Whoa there, Eddie…Slow down there and let's think. Are you <strong>_**really**_** ready to give up hope on that thought of yours?**

**More tomorrow.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own it and neither do you.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 12**

I watch as she slinks off away from the bar and onto the dance floor. The seductive sway of her hips invites me in and all I can do is follow.

I don't stop until I'm directly behind her in the mass of writhing bodies. Her hips sway to the beat of the song and I can't stop myself from touching her.

My hands grip her hips and bring her body flush with mine.

She gasps in shock then moans when I grind my hard-on against her ass. Her moans just spur me on.

Our hips move in time to the music pulsating around us and the feeling of her ass rubbing against my dick is just making me harder. She brings her hands up, up into my hair and tugs.

Stings but in a good way.

She leans her head back on my shoulder and, eyes hidden away, kisses me.

It's one of the most sensual kisses I've had in a long time.

My body is at war with my mind.

It feels so good but so wrong at the same time.

Most disturbing of all: her lips felt familiar against mine.

_I wish you were here, Bella. You could tell me what to do._

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><p><strong>So? Who do you think the mystery girl is? I particularly think it's obvious.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 13**

Two songs later we're still on the dance floor. One of her hands is still firmly gripping my hair and the other is intertwined with one of mine at her hip.

She won't let me see her, won't turn to face me.

I can only tell that she is about five foot four with an added three inches to her height from the fuck me pumps on her feet.

She has dark hair piled high on her head and a sensuous body made from sin with a luscious mouth to match.

Mystery girl leans her head back on my shoulder and leans in for another kiss. I give in to her and kiss her back.

My body wants her but my mind is rejecting her.

I'm lost.

She kisses me more chastely once, twice, three times, four then slides her fingers from my hair and walks away.

I stand there like an idiot and stare after her before I push through the crowd, attempting to follow her. But by the time that I've caught up to her I see a man holding the door of a sedan open for her as she climbs in.

And I'm suddenly jealous.

I should be the one to do that for her.

Even though I have no clue as to who she is.

As the man closes her door and walks around the front of the car I see his face, bathed in the light of the streetlight. It's the man at the coffeehouse who was talking with teenager who had a similar voice to my Bella.

Art, I think she called him.

And then my head starts to hurt as I think about all the things I've seen and all the conversations I've had or eavesdropped on. As I try to put the pieces together.

It's like a puzzle. But the thought - the thought that I didn't want to believe in if it wasn't true - didn't fit in anywhere.

I close my eyes and when I open them the car is gone. My heart felt as if it had become whole again and then broken once more.

A sigh escapes my lips and, as if to fuel my depression, it starts to rain again in Seattle.

I hail a cab and head home to my empty apartment. Once there, I strip and fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? More tomorrow.<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 14**

I'm asleep, but I can't wake up.

I'm trapped, trapped in this never-ending nightmare with nowhere to turn.

It's not really that bad if you think about it. Could even be considered a good dream. But not to me.

She's here with me again. We're in my apartment, _our_ apartment, and it's just another night. Bella's tucked into my side with her head resting on my shoulder where we're sitting on the couch, watching some movie. She's happy and safe in my arms where she belongs. Bella tilts her head up and leans in to kiss me.

As our lips touch the scene changes and the real nightmare begins.

We're in the park again and it's that night all over again.

The shots ring out loud and clear.

One.

Two.

Three.

And she falls, falls into my arms but doesn't die yet.

Something's wrong. She was supposed to die instantly.

Bella grips onto the lapels of the jacket I'm wearing, her hands covered in her own blood.

"Listen to me," she rasps. "Listen! Don't give up, Edward!"

"What do you mean?" I ask. She gives me a smile and let's go of me. Bella slips from my arms and falls to the ground, a gruesome pool of her blood gathering beneath her.

"Don't give up hope, Edward. I'm still alive." She's still and a bloodcurdling scream comes from her.

Or maybe it's me.

I wake a moment later in my apartment, covered in sweat and shaking.

Something moves by the door, scaring the crap out of me.

I gasp and stare.

She stares back at me, her expression comical. I would have laughed.

I blink and she's gone.

But I'm positive it was Bella.

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><p><strong>Creepy, right? More tomorrow.<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 15**

It was impossible. I should not have been able to see her.

Period.

End of discussion.

Only crazy people saw ghosts of their dead girlfriend a year after she had died.

I did not go back to sleep. I did not succumb to the exhaustion. I would not let myself.

The sun rose and the birds chirped their morning songs. I sat in bed and watched the sun move across the walls of my bedroom.

I woke from my stupor when my phone starts to vibrate around one o'clock. It's a text. From Emmett.

_Make sure ur sane 2nite, dumbass_

I hit reply.

_Counting on it, asshole_

I sigh. Sunday night dinner with my parents.

Wonder if they'll notice if I'm not there.

I think about it for barely a second and have an answer.

Yes, yes they will notice if I'm not there.

Mom wouldn't let dinner go on if I'm not present and Emmett will come over here just to get me. He's a stupid oaf that can't live without his Sunday night dinner to get him through the week.

I sit there for another three hours before getting ready.

_I wish you were here really here, Bella. Not some figment of my imagination. Not wishful thinking._

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><p><strong>Sad, huh? It'll be okay, Edward. Eventually.<strong>

**Tell me what you think. **

**If anyone doesn't already know this, I give out teasers to the next chapter when I get signed reviews ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 16**

It's six-thirty and I'm sitting across from an empty seat yet again.

And I'm struck with the flash of her face again.

Not from before she was..._shot_ but from today. When I woke from my alcohol induced nightmare and saw her.

Emmett's laughing at something Jasper's said which is weird. Jasper never says anything funny unless it's about something embarrassing like one of his client's wives groping him again when he's sent to check on a security system.

"Edward, honey, what's wrong? You've barely touched your dinner." I look up from my chicken primavera and realize it's quiet and all eyes are on me.

I sigh. It seems to be the only thing I've done lately.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"You don't seem fine to me, dear. Does it have anything to do with Friday?" she asks, already jumping to the obvious conclusion.

I shrug and push my food around the plate, thinking.

What's the worse they could do?

Put me into a mental institution?

Or as Emmett likes to call it, the "nut house"?

I spit it out. "I think I saw Bella this morning."

All I hear is silverware hitting plates.

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><p><strong>I wonder how everyone is going to react to <strong>_**that**_**.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 17**

"Did you or did you not read my text, dumbass?" Emmett is the first to react. Mom's too lost to say anything about his swearing.

But Rose isn't.

Thank God for Rose.

She smacks him in the head and gives him a few choice words.

"Are you sure, Edward?" It's Alice who asks and I see in her wide green eyes that she's scared. And that she'll never ask me to find someone to date again.

She never wanted me to in the first place.

"I'm not sure, Alice, but I know it was her."

Dad stares at me with an unfathomable expression. "Edward, are you sure it wasn't wishful thinking on your part?"

"I'm sure, Dad. I saw her in my apartment."

"But, Edward," Jasper says, leaning around Alice to look at me, "Bella died a year ago. How could she still be alive?"

I shrug and shake my head.

I honestly don't know.

Em pushes his empty plate away. "Well, Edward, it looks like you've ruined another dinner."

Mom whimpers quietly before excusing herself, Dad one step behind her.

Rose smacks him again and screams, "Insensitive bastard!" at him.

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><p><strong>Hmmm…I wonder what's wrong with Emmett. He's usually not that tactless.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 18**

Somehow a fight's erupted. And I don't know what it's about.

Alice and Rose have ganged up on Em. Jasper's holding Alice back but there's nothing to stop his older sister.

She's yelling and screaming at Em and he's just taking it.

Not that I blame him.

Rose can be a scary bitch sometimes.

But he loves her for some absurd reason.

Emmett looks at me, casually piling more food onto his plate. "Tell them what you told me." And I know he only said what he did to get Mom and Dad out of the room.

This stops their fight and brings their attention back to me.

I start from the beginning and tell them everything.

Even the new stuff that happened yesterday.

But not my mystery girl.

Not her.

As Bella's necklace is passed around and questions are asked, only one really sticks. "Do you really think she's still alive, Edward? Bella, I mean." It's Jasper who asks as he examines the engraving on the necklace.

I nod. "Chuck kept acting like she was alive. Barely upset."

It was odd. All the signs pointed to her being alive but no actual concrete proof.

Only coincidences.

"What are we going to do?" I stare at Rose like she's crazy.

"What are you talking about, Rose?"

She rolls her eyes at me and crosses her arms. "How are we going to prove that Bella's still alive?"

I stare at her. "We? What 'we'?"

She huffs. "Us. _All_ of us – you, me, Em, Alice, and Jazz. We love her, too, Edward." We stare at each other, contemplating.

I regret telling them now. It was pointless.

They just might put me in that damn mental institution.

"Oh, I have an idea!" Alice exclaims, jumping up from her place on Jazz's lap. "We should go to Forks and talk to Charlie."

A beat passes before we agree.

We'll go this weekend.

_I hope you father doesn't shoot us, Bella, when we go see him._

* * *

><p><strong>So, tell me your theories. What do you think is going to happen when they go to Forks?<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 19**

Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed.

That's all I do for the next five days.

Mom and Dad have been calling nonstop. They want to know if I'm okay, what's going on.

After we made plans to go to Forks, they came back asking questions. Everyone was tight lipped, refusing to say anything. For once in our lives we were on the same page.

No one was going to give another up.

I'm scared still.

The signs and weird conversations have stopped but not the nightmares. They've been nightly occurrences. Never ending, always the same.

She tells me she's still alive and I wake up screaming.

But by Thursday morning I realize that they're waning. I don't wake up screaming but my heart still feels like it's going to beat out of my chest.

Felt like the time that Emmett made me chug a can of the nasty energy drink he used to like in college.

Thought I was going to be able to see my heart.

By Friday the shooting doesn't happen. The date we were supposed to have does in its place.

All the better in my mind.

Rosalie and Emmett aren't there to see me propose.

_And I know you would have said yes, Bella…Or, at least I hope you would have._

* * *

><p><strong>This is <strong>_**kind of**_** a filler but **_**not**_** at the same time…It's important, really, if you can see the significance.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 20**

It's Saturday morning.

I'm sitting outside Alice and Jasper's place. Her spiky head keeps passing the only lit up window in the building.

Twenty minutes later they finally come down.

"Alice, we're staying in Forks for barely a day. Why do you need all of these clothes?"

She rolls her eyes and gives me the finger before getting in my Volvo.

Jasper puts in her other ten pound suitcase in the trunk. "She insisted. Wanted something for any situation apparently," he yawns, throwing in his own, lighter, bag.

We're on the road by six-ten with the sun already over the horizon.

About two hours into the trip, Jazz's out cold in the backseat and Alice is staring intently at me as if she's waiting for something.

"What is it?" I glance at her.

She smiles mysteriously. "You know what."

I check in the mirror if Em and Rose are still with us. From here I can see his beloved Jeep behind us one lane over.

Rose is covering her ears as Emmett sings along to some song they're listening to.

I feel bad for her.

She sighs and sits up in the passenger seat so that she isn't slouching. "That wasn't the first time you saw her, Edward. I know it here," she says pointing at her head.

Sometimes being her twin was a disadvantage.

Plus there's the added fact that she sometimes thinks herself to be psychic.

I tense, fingers clenching around the steering wheel.

"Of course it wasn't the first time, Alice. I saw her every day before it happened."

Alice rolls her eyes. "You know what I mean. Don't deny it, Edward."

Jazz snores behind us a couple times before I answer.

"I don't even know if it was her," I whisper.

But my body tells me otherwise.

Alice frowns and doesn't say anything for the rest of the trip other than to tell me to stop to get some coffee and something to eat.

Jasper snores on the entire time in the backseat, oblivious to everything around him.

* * *

><p><strong>Another filler, but with another purpose ;) More tomorrow.<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 21**

We're finally in Forks.

It's the first time since the funeral.

Charlie had insisted on a traditional Catholic funeral service even though he and Bella, along with the majority of their family, were nonreligious.

Didn't make any sense, but half the family readily backed him up when asked.

"So, how are we going to do this because the Chief still scares the crap out of me?" Em says, staring across the street to the house I had been in countless times in high school.

The house still looks the same with its white siding, dark red door, and police cruiser sitting in the driveway. Even Bella's Chevy sculpture still rests next to it.

Suddenly the front door swings open and Chief Swan is standing there. "I know you kids want to talk to me. Why don't you come in?" he calls out.

Thunder rolls across the sky, making the decision for us.

"So," he says once we're settled in the living room. Charlie's acting like he's been expecting us to come. Or at least me.

"Why are you here? I know you didn't come just to see little old me." He casually takes a pull from his can of coke and I nearly have a heart attack. I had been able to avoid it for a year.

It was Bella's favorite soda.

Alice is sitting next to me and, when it's obvious that no one is going to respond, she jabs her little elbow into my ribs.

"We came to ask you something…" I stutter out. I'm suddenly nervous, afraid of my would-have-been-father-in-law.

Afraid of what he may say.

"Well?" he asks.

I gulp. "We want to know…if there is the slight chance that Bella may not be dead." It comes out of my mouth like a rush of water from a waterfall but I know that he heard me. Charlie freezes and the empty can drops from his fingers.

He stares at us, eyes flickering from face to face.

"What do you know?"

I shake my head. "That's the thing, we don't know anything."

He stands and starts to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. He stops suddenly, picking up a frame on the mantle.

I remember that day. The day we went to our senior prom.

One of the days he learned that his little girl wasn't a little girl anymore.

"I'm going to tell you something but you have to listen." His expression is fierce, almost scary.

We nod, attention focused on the Chief.

"What are you trying to tell us, Charlie?" Rose asks.

Charlie's expression softens as he takes in our faces.

"That nothing is as simple as we want it to be…and that she's closer than you think, but farther out of reach."

I blink at him.

I never knew that Charlie could be that cryptic.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, who knew? So what do you think about Charlie's little message?<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 22**

It's late, almost nine o'clock.

I tried slipping out of the old house here in Forks but Alice caught me. Insisted on coming with me.

We're standing at the gates of the old Forks Cemetery.

"What are we waiting for?"

"I'm scared, Alice," I whisper.

She stares at me with soft eyes. "We're all scared of something, Edward," she says, taking my arm and leading us into the cemetery.

We don't speak as we make our way through the graveyard.

About three rows away from Bella's plot, I see movement. It looks like it's around her grave.

I pull Alice to a stop and we watch as two people start to dig up the earth where they are.

"What are they doing?" Alice whispers, tugging at the sleeve of my jacket.

I shrug and whisper back, "I don't know."

As we continued to watch them, their voices drift back to us.

Two men. One older and familiar. The other younger and somewhat unknown.

"Put your back into it, boy. We don't have all night." The voice reminds me of somebody but it escapes my memory.

The other grunts and throws down his shovel before leaning down to pull something up from the ground. "I didn't volunteer to do this, Ted. She fucking cornered me the other day and told me I was going to be helping you. If I had known it was this I wouldn't have come." He drags the dark heavy object towards the older man.

"Wasn't our high school bio teacher, Mr. Banner, named Ted?" I nod. "There's only one Ted in Forks, right?" I nod again.

We watched as they placed the heavy slab in place, put the dirt back, and left the cemetery with an equally heavy slab of…whatever.

Alice gasped and covered her mouth as soon as we got to Bella's grave.

All I could do was stare.

Her headstone was gone and replaced with another that wasn't hers.

_Mary Voltaire  
>Loving mother,<br>wife, and grandmother  
>We miss you<em>

* * *

><p><strong>I wonder who this mysterious Mary Voltaire is…Have any ideas? I'd love to hear them ;)<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 23**

We stared at the headstone some more before going back.

Over breakfast the next morning we told everyone.

Emmett choked on the pancake he had stuffed in his mouth.

Rose spit out her orange juice like in the movies.

And Jasper just nodded.

Like it was normal. But then again, maybe it was normal with everything going on lately.

"So, Banner was out there last night?" Jazz asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

I nodded.

I wouldn't be able to make that up. _Yeah, man, my high school biology teacher was out in the middle of the local cemetery at midnight with a shovel last night._

Like that was _normal_.

"And he and some other guy put up a new gravestone where Bella's supposed to be buried?"

Alice nodded, taking a bite of her bagel. "Yeah, but what does it mean?"

Rosalie and Emmett finally got over their shock and pushed their plates away. "It means that he knows something. I say that we go ask him about," Em said, banging his fist on the table.

"No, if we do that then he'll know that we saw them," I told him. "We should keep this to ourselves and see if anything else happens."

We agree and decide to start the drive back home.

At some point we made plans to meet up next weekend at the same club I went to last time.

_My heart aches and my head hurts, Bella. I wish you'd just tell me what's going on._

* * *

><p><strong>So, I feel like the story is getting boring BUT this is where the story gets interesting…<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection <strong>

**Chapter 24**

It's Saturday again. I've been back to the park every day since we got back from Forks.

But nothing's happened since two weeks ago.

Maybe it was all in my head.

We're at the club, sitting at one of the booths.

Emmett's taken the conversation over and is telling us a bunch of stupid jokes to fill the silent air around us while he gets drunk. Alice is sitting across from me and has that look on her face.

Like she's waiting for something to happen.

Good or bad, no one knows.

And then something changes. Em's stopped making jokes and the man from the coffeehouse, Art, is with us.

"Emmett Cullen," he says. "It's been awhile."

Em gives a belly laugh and stands to shake hands with him. "Arthur Banner. How've you been? I haven't seen you since graduation."

And then it clicks.

This man, Art, is the son of Ted Banner. The same man who was in the cemetery and was my bio teacher in high school.

That's why he looked familiar to me. He had the same features as his father but was lighter than him by a couple shades and had the same silver-gray eyes of his pale mother.

I think Arthur Banner would be described as mulatto.

"I've been good, great actually. Been in Egyptian dig sites for the past year or so looking for artifacts and stuff. Apparently I got myself two new nicknames now."

Em laughs and asks him what they are.

I'm half listening now.

She's here.

My mystery girl.

I would know those curves anywhere.

_Forgive me, Bella, I might be about to sin._

* * *

><p><strong>Hmmm, I wonder what Edward's going to do in his lust…Hopefully not go too far.<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 25**

I watch as she sashays her way onto the dance floor. She's beautiful in that blue dress of hers.

It was like a second skin.

But I still can't see her face. I want to.

Emmett's laugh breaks me out of my trance. "You have got to tell me what they are. Usually when someone gives you a nickname it's got no obvious meaning and makes you look stupid."

"Well some of my friends have started to call me Horus like the Egyptian god because I supposedly look like him. I mean, do I look like I have the head of a falcon? Don't answer that." Em pouts while everyone laughs.

I pretend to when Alice kicks me in the shin and glares.

"And there's the spinoff of my dad's nickname, Bio Banner. I'm Egyptologist Banner."

I tune them out and excuse myself from the table.

Moments later I'm on the dance floor and it's like déjà vu. She's dancing with her back to me and I just have to touch her. My hands grip her hips and pull her so that her back is flush with my chest.

She gives a sultry moan when I grind my erection against her ass.

It's exactly like last time.

We dance to the dark seductive music, hips moving in sink, until midnight comes.

"Come with me," I say. She shakes her head and giggles before leaving me again.

I go back to the others and tell them I'm going home. Alice catches my eye and smirks at me.

She knows something but isn't going to share.

Not that I expected her to.

Once home I strip and slip under the cool sheets as rain starts to pour outside.

* * *

><p><strong>Again, I give out teasers of the next chapter when you review.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 26**

I awake and know I'm not alone. It's still dark as the rain pounds against the window.

There's movement by the window. A hand moving to run through long brown hair.

I move to get out of bed but she holds up her hand.

"Don't."

And I watch as she unzips her blue dress that leaves little to the imagination. Like it was painted on.

It falls to the floor and she's left in nothing.

I feel my hard-on come on at the magnificent sight and reach under the sheets to soothe my rock hard cock.

"Come here, baby," I say.

She smiles coyly at me and from here I can see how wet for me she is. I push the sheets away and pull her to me for a kiss. Her hands fist in my hair and tug, making me moan.

My aching cock becomes impossibly harder as she wraps her little hand around me. More moans and groans of pleasure as she works me.

"Mmm, you like that, Edward, don't you? You like my hand around your cock?" She leans down to take me into her hot little mouth and it takes all of my control not to cum.

I can't take her teasing anymore and pull her to me.

I thrust up into her and we both moan.

I'm impossibly deep.

We start to move and I watch as her tits bounce as she rides me and it's a glorious sight. I bring one into my mouth and suck and lavish and do the same to the other.

She moans and it spurs me on.

I bring my hand between us and touch that little nub. She cries out in pleasure. "Who owns this pussy, Bella?" I grind out, thrusting into her.

"Fuck!" she gasps, meeting me thrust for thrust.

"I said who owns this fucking pussy, Isabella!" I say, thrusting harder and deeper than before.

More forceful, but not enough to hurt her.

"Oh," she moans. "You do, Edward. Only you."

And I feel her pussy clamp down on me.

Watching her fall apart, and know it was because of me, is enough to make me follow.

She peppers kisses down my chest and as I drift off again she says something.

_I love you, too, Bella._

* * *

><p><strong>That was my first lemon so go easy on me. Tell me what you think.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 27**

I awake, the sun high in the sky.

I'm completely blissed out. Most relaxed I've felt in a long time.

It's a relief.

I close my eyes and remember, remember my dream. It was so realistic, like she was actually here.

I wish it was real.

That she really was here and that we had sex.

I get ready for the day and leave for my parents'. I wonder if they'll notice anything different.

Emmett dictates conversation after we get through the normal questions from Mom and Dad.

How was your week?

Did you do anything interesting?

Did you get in any trouble, Emmett?

They don't ask why all of us missed dinner last week. Just took it in stride. We probably would have lied and told them something stupid if they asked.

I don't notice everyone staring until Rose snaps at me. "We asked you a question, jackass. What happened to you last night?"

I blink and look around the table. Alice sticks out with her smirk.

"I went out on the dance floor then left and went home. You know that."

Em spears the meat on his plate with his fork and sticks it in his mouth. "Something must have happened to make you run out like that."

"I did not run," I gripe.

He looks up from his plate for the first time and scrutinizes me. "You got laid, baby brother." Everyone gasps and stares. Alice looks like I had just stabbed her with my fork.

My face heats against my will. "I didn't. Just had a really good dream last night."

_When I close my eyes I can still feel you wrapped around me, Bella._

* * *

><p><strong>Do you think it was a dream? Or was she really there with him?<strong>


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 28**

Em's excitement dies down when he realizes that I'm serious. The others had looked both angry at him and disappointed in me until I had said it was just a dream.

Not that I blame them.

I would have been disappointed in myself, too.

If she had come home with me last night, I don't know what I would have done. I'm glad she didn't.

But a part of me isn't.

I go home hours later, stomach full of Mom's delicious cooking, and go to bed.

I awake to tender kisses being placed across my chest and the feeling of a soft feminine body pressing against mine.

Eyes open and adjusted to the darkness, I see her, my Bella.

She pulls back and smiles at me. "Edward," she whispers. I smile back at her and take her in. She's wearing a dark purple lace bra with matching panties.

Bella threads her little fingers in my hair as I wrap my arms around her waist. She whispers my name again, her sweet breath fanning my face. We move at the same time and our lips meet in a warm kiss.

The kiss could be described as tender, even sweet.

"Bella," I whisper once we break away. Her breathes come out in labored pants as my lips assault the soft skin of her neck.

I flip us over so that I am hovering over her. Bra comes off then the panties. A kiss to her soft mound rewarded with a breathy moan that makes me harden.

I slip one digit into her tight heat, two more. And finger-fuck her until she's squirming.

There's nothing sweet about what we're doing anymore.

"You like that, don't you, Isabella?" I ask. "You like my fingers fucking your pussy."

She nods vigorously, at a loss of words all except for one. "Please, please," she begs.

I bring my lips to her ear and whisper, "What do you want? You have to tell me what you want, Isabella."

She moans and begs, begs me to put my mouth on her.

I add my tongue to the mix and feel her walls contracting around me. Then she cums.

I kiss her on the lips and plunge my tongue into her hot mouth. Bella moans as she tastes herself.

She wraps her legs around me, urging me. I smirk against her lips and slide into her heat. We moan and groan, moving in a frenzy, clawing at each others' skin.

"Oh, fuck. Fuck…Right there, Edward," she screams. I hit that spot again and again until she cums again, screaming my name in ecstasy.

I cum soon after and lay beside her.

Bella, eyes full of love and adoration, smiles and kisses me softly as I slip away…

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah…this is my second lemon – EVER. What do you think is up with all of the fast and furious (that's sounds <em>really <em>awkward_) _loving going on ? Do you think these are really dreams?**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 29**

Days have passed.

My dream is always the same but different.

We're always in my apartment, in my bed and we...do it. And it's always late at night when we do and there's always this edge of reality to my dreams.

Like it's really happening. And she's really _there_ and I'm actually _touching_ her.

I open my eyes now and know something is different.

I had the usual dream and just slipped back into a heavy sleep. But when I wake I'm entirely too hot.

Hotter than normal with the summer heat.

Like there's another person in bed with me.

I think back to last night and _know_ I didn't bring anyone home. Came home from work, had dinner, went to bed.

Cautiously looking on the other side of the bed I see dark long hair and smooth skin hat led to a familiar backside.

I tense as she shifts in her sleep and turns to face me. My breathing stops altogether and my heart starts to race.

It's her.

It's Bella.

She moans and whispers my name as she reaches out to me as she sleeps.

I'm afraid to touch her, even to move an inch.

She could wake.

I stare and stare and stare, not knowing what to do, until finally she stirs. Her beautiful dark brown eyes open and stare back.

"Edward," she whispers. And the tears form.

I pull her to me, my own tears flowing.

_My Bella. My Bella. My beautiful, beautiful Bella. Alive and well in my arms again._

* * *

><p><strong>So, how did you like the reveal? I particularly think it to be anticlimactic.<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I don't own it – as in **_**Twilight**_** if you don't understand…**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 30**

"Bella," I murmur into her hair, crushing her tightly to my chest.

She sobs and tightens her grip around my neck. "Edward, Edward, I missed you…I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

I rock her back and forth, my heart aching from her pain. I let her cry and try to sort out how I feel.

Shocked.

Confused.

Hurt.

But mostly happy.

She's here with me, making my heart whole again.

Her cries subside and we sit in silence. I have a sudden epiphany.

"Were we really having sex these past few nights?" She pulls back and stares at me with wide eyes.

_Did I just put my foot in my mouth?_ I wonder, wanting to hit myself.

But then she laughs, albeit a hysterical laugh but a laugh no less. "Edward, I've faked my death and made you and everyone else in your family believe it, and the first thing you ask is if we really have been sex since Saturday?" She smiles her first real smile.

I smile back and crush her to my chest again. "Were we though, I'd love to know?"

"Why?" she whispers, her lips brushing against my skin.

I smirk. "Because then I'll know that the best sex of my life wasn't in my head."

Bella laughs again and it's a more happy sound. "You thought I was a dream?"

"Yes."

She hums. "We've danced at the club. Twice." I kiss both her cheeks, the lids of her eyes, her lips. "I couldn't stay away anymore, Edward," she says through a moan as I start to kiss down her throat. "I had to see you. The danger was nothing compared to how much I missed you."

I know that we're avoiding the obvious but I'm scared of what she'll tell me.

Scared of the truth.

But there's one thing that I'm sure of.

That I love her and she loves me, too.

And that I'm Edward and she's Bella.

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like this is a filler. Do you think this is a filler?<strong>


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 31**

"Come to work with me," I say. She opens her mouth to protest but I stop her.

"It's Thursday and that means that it's only me and Jazz there today. Everyone else is out checking accounts or installing new systems."

I hold her hands in mine and beg.

She can't resist.

"Please, Bella."

She sighs and agrees. "Okay, but we need to go to the house first so I can change and grab a few things."

I smile and pull her to the bathroom with me.

Bella sits on the counter, swinging her legs like a small child, back in her clothes again.

I didn't want her to be but she insisted if we were to leave early enough.

"Bella?" I ask.

She hums in response from the other side of the shower curtain.

"How did you get into the apartment, the locks were changed a few months ago?"

Her giggles make me pull the curtain back and look at her.

"Your landlord remembered me and he gave me a copy. I asked him if I could have one so that I could surprise my boyfriend." Bella must have understood the look on my face as she smoothed away the frown lines on my forehead. "Not everyone I've ever met thinks I'm dead, Edward," she whispers.

I nod and pull the curtain back so that the spray doesn't hit her anymore. And to hide my face.

"How can you talk about it so easily?"

I hear her sigh before answering. "Because I've died before, Edward. And even though it was only for a few minutes, I've come to terms with it. I know it could happen again at any time and be…permanent." She trails off as I turn the shower off and step out, wrapping a towel around myself.

I move to stand between her legs and stare down at her. "Edward," she whispers, running her fingertips down the side of my face. A fire burns in their wake.

"Let's not talk about this now. Later, in my office." She nods, pressing her lips to mine again.

"I love you, Edward." I smile against her lips.

It's good to hear those words.

"I love you, too, Bella. So much."

* * *

><p><strong>So…they're going to talk about the big pink elephant in the room. I wonder what she's going to tell him.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 32**

As we step out of the car the driver's window of a black Mercedes parked across the street rolls down.

I do a double take as the driver waves to us. It's the paramedic from that night.

His smile widens when his gaze lands on me. Like he knows me.

But I have no clue as to who he is.

Bella takes my hand and pulls me toward the car. "Felix, what are you doing here?" she asks him.

"Came to drop something off for you. Dad said that you'll need it." He hands her a manila envelope and a smaller one with the Swan crest embossed on the back.

Bella opened the manila one and rifled through it quickly. "Why does Marcus think I'll need these?"

"Maybe so that it'll be easier to explain? I don't know." He points to the other envelope. "That one's from your uncle Alistair."

"Yeah, I would know his handwriting anywhere. He's the only one I know who writes his S's like that." She tucks both into her purse and takes my hand again. "Felix, I'd like you to meet Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Felix Voltaire, my bodyguard of sorts."

He laughs and looks at me as he says his next words. "Bella doesn't need a bodyguard. And besides," he says, glancing her. "I'm not very helpful in a fight unless it's just hand to hand combat. Horus is much better than me. He's the better protector."

Bella rolls her eyes. "Why do you think we call Arthur that, hmmm? Because he looks like a falcon? You need to brush up on your Egyptian myths, Felix."

"Yeah, sure," he murmurs, brushing her teasing off. "Well it was nice meeting you, Edward."

"Yeah, you, too," I say, shaking his hand.

We watch him drive off from the front window inside the house.

"He was there that night," I whisper.

"Yes."

"He has the same name as on the headstone in Forks. Voltaire."

She sighs, pulling me up the stairs. "Yes."

I tug on my hair as she pushes me down on the bed in the room we're in. "I'm so confused."

"I know, baby," she whispers, straddling my hips. "I'll tell you everything. I promise."

She whispers that she'll be right back and leaves me to shower.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, um, that was Felix…And I know I'm skirting around the big, bad secret ;)<strong>

**I'm mean like that…**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 33**

Bella comes back ten minutes later, dressed in skinny jeans and a tee shirt, hair damp. I watched as she ran around the room, opening drawers and pulling things out from their places. One thing caught my eye.

It was silver with a black handle and had her name inked on the barrel.

I stare at it in shock then imagine her handling it. And I'm swept up into a fantasy.

"Bella, why do you have a gun?" She pauses what she's doing and looks over at me. Almost as if she had forgotten I was here.

Then she strides across the room until she's standing between my legs. On instinct I grip her hips.

She smiles nostalgically and picks it up from its spot on the bed beside me. "I forgot about this one. It was my first. Dad gave it to me the day Uncle Alistair was shot at our senior year."

I could feel my eyebrows go up my forehead. "So you're saying that you know how to shoot that thing?"

Bella nods and places it back on the bed. "Knowing how to shoot a gun is a big part of the explanation."

I nod.

She'll tell me everything. I just have to wait.

Hopefully I can do that.

I switch to another topic. "Whose house is this anyway?"

"Technically," she says, biting on her bottom lip. I want to be the one to do that. "Technically, it's ours."

"What?"

Did I hear her right?

"My uncle and one of his friends knew that we liked this place back in college so they outright bought it. And it's in our names, too."

"So we own a house." It hangs in the air between us.

This was the house that we planned to raise our family in.

She grins, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "Yeah, we do."

* * *

><p><strong>It may not seem important, but it is ;D More tomorrow.<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 34**

We're in my office now.

I'm sitting in the fancy executive chair with Bella in my lap. The door is locked and Jasper is in his own office on the other side of the small office building we own.

"Just start when you're ready," I tell her. I can feel her nod her head and hear her sigh.

It's silent for a few minutes until Bella speaks. "It started the fall of our junior year of high school. First with the random fire's, then the bodies. The fires were targeted toward Felix's family and anyone close to them. No one knew why for the longest time…"

She pauses, lost in a memory, before continuing.

"The bodies were of those closest to the Voltaire's. There were only two before we figured out who was doing it. Bree Tanner, Felix's girlfriend, was the first and the other was one of his friends, James Martin. They were both found in fires, charred almost beyond recognition. By then we learned that it was some of the Quileutes on the reservation. But we didn't know why they were doing it."

I rub her back soothingly as she pauses again.

It's a lot to take in already and she's not even halfway done.

"As a precaution I learned how to fight, keep myself safe. I learned jujitsu and practice with knives and different kinds of blades. Dad taught me how to shoot a gun, throw a proper punch. Nothing happened at first but it was good to know," she says, playing with the fingers of my hand in her lap.

I close my eyes and imagine, imagine her doing all of those things.

But I can't.

It's hard to see her doing all of those things. Except for Charlie teaching her how to throw a punch.

Now _that_ I can see.

"And then what happened?" I asked.

She sighed. "And then we found out what they wanted."

* * *

><p><strong>I wonder what the Quileutes wanted…Got any ideas?<strong>


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 35**

Her eyes clench shut and she tightens her grip around my hand.

"During our senior year after we started dating, we found out what they wanted from them," Bella says.

"The Voltaire name is the most outstanding amongst weapons companies. The founder, Mary Voltaire, was creating something new for the military and she was keeping it secret.

"The Quileutes wanted it so they thought that threatening everyone close to her would get them it. But it didn't work so they tried outright attacking us."

She pauses again to grab the manila envelope from her bag and pulls out a bunch of photos. "Here, these are pictures of some of the Quileutes and the incidents documented over the years." I take them from her and flip through them quickly.

There are pictures of fires and injuries mixed in with pictures of dark skinned Quileutes.

So many different injuries that I'm surprised that they're even able to survive any of them.

"When that didn't seem to work when we were always somewhat prepared, they started to lay low. For about a year and a half nothing happened. No more fires. No more bodies. No more attacks…

"But then one day these two siblings, Leah and Seth Clearwater, approached us. They wanted out of the Quileutes' plans. The only way we could do that was if they were willing to be spies for us. They agreed and told us that since the Quileutes couldn't get the new weapon, they were going to kill Mary Voltaire instead.

"The news shocked everyone. Mary herself didn't seem all too fazed about it but no one had noticed then. We were more concerned with keeping her safe. So Seth and Leah continued to spy for us, which led to more news. The Quileutes were going to have a hired gun to do it for them. This led to more extensive planning over the years.

"And then two years ago, Mary revealed to everyone that she had some type of cancer that was spreading, leaving her with only about a year to live."

I rub her back soothingly and let her gather her thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think? We're about half done with the explanation.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 36**

"But how do you fit into all of this? I just don't see the connection, Bella," I say.

She bites on her bottom lip and I pull it out from between her teeth before she drew blood.

"It's only because my family have known the Voltaire's for a very long time. My grandparents were friends with Mary and her husband Randall in high school and the rest is history.

"When Bree and James were killed and my dad learned that his friend Billy Black was part of all of the incidents, he turned to his best friend, Ted Banner, and got his family involved. The Banners joined us willingly for some unfathomable reason. So we all got roped into the attacks, too."

She pauses again and pulls my face to look at her.

Her eyes are dark and intense as she says her next words. "When we started dating I knew I wanted to keep you out of this. It didn't matter – I never wanted you or your family to get hurt because of me. So I kept all of this a secret. How I was able to in the first place, is a mystery to me.

"And since I was the only one with the most emotional ties outside the family, we decided that – through the tip from Leah and Seth – I was the best candidate to take Mary's place. They wanted an eye for an eye, the Quileutes, since they couldn't get what they wanted. And killing someone else instead of her was good enough for them, too. We had to fake my death and make it believable.

"I never meant to hurt you, only keep you safe," she whispers.

I close my eyes as she starts to stroke my face, wiping away the tears that rolled down my face.

"It's okay, Edward. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

I nod and pull her tight because I know.

Know that she'll always be in my arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Long explanation, huh? We've got two more to go and then onto the rest of the story…<strong>


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 37**

After my last tear is shed, Bella pulls back and stares into my eyes, chocolate brown meeting green.

"Do you want me to finish, Edward?"

I nod, I want to know.

"Whatever I say, you have to know that I did it because I love you."

"I know, Bella," I tell her. "I know you did."

Bella searches my eyes for something and seems to find it when she continues. "That day last year in the park when it happened, Mary had breathed her last breath minutes before my uncle had shot me.

"I was wearing a Kevlar vest and when the bullets hit and burst the fake blood lining it, I passed out from the pain. When I woke they told me that someone had called 911 and Dad intercepted it, sending Felix and his cousin Demetri with the ambulance to come pick me up. It was helpful that Felix was an actual EMT…

"To make my death seem more believable, there was the funeral and the wake. With Mary being a Catholic we had to have everything traditional for her. Having a closed casket ceremony was in everyone's best interest," she tells me, never taking her eyes off of mine.

I had one question that stood out.

"Why wasn't anyone upset at the funeral or anything?"

"The reason no one seemed to be really upset was because we had already come to terms with her dying about a month before. By then we were all just waiting for it…" Bella trails off again.

"What happened after that?" I whisper, running my hand up and down her back.

She smirks. "A whirlwind of events…"

* * *

><p><strong>Everybody still with me? More tomorrow.<strong>


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 38**

"After that I had to leave. I moved to Phoenix temporarily and stayed with my mom until it all blew over. I would leave once a month and come back up here. I had left you the first clue about two months or so after the whole incident in September. Banner's son, Arthur, would help me. He would keep watch while I would leave the item in the park for you. Sometimes, though, I wouldn't be able to do it myself, so Art would leave it for me.

"And then I came back," Bella murmured, laying her head back on my shoulder. "Leah and Seth said that the Quileutes were tired of looking for Mary even though they obviously thought I was dead. But I still had to keep a low profile just in case they decided to look for me those first few weeks. And then I saw you," she sighed. "You had looked so sad. I knew I couldn't stay away any longer."

I blinked.

"Where?" I whispered.

"The club," she breathed. "I had followed you that first time. Art was with me, just to make sure. I sent you the drink after that bitch had hit on you."

A smile broke through my shock.

"You were my mystery girl," I told her, my voice full of awe. "I always knew there was a reason why I was so attracted."

Bella smiled back at me and placed a kiss at the corner of my mouth. "I knew you were curious and in the back of my mind I didn't want you to follow me. But I wanted you to at the same time," she confessed.

"So we danced and I hid from you because I was scared, scared of what would happen. Of how you would perceive me. And then Art signaled me that it was time to leave. He had to catch his flight back to Cairo. I didn't want to but I had to. And I knew you had followed us out. I could feel it in my bones."

She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls herself closer to me.

"And then two weeks passed. I had gotten a phone call from Dad at one point. Told me that you had gone to see him. I said okay. Then I got another call, this time from Seth. He told me that he thought somebody saw them switching the headstones out in the cemetery the same night. And I knew it had to be you.

"Then Art dragged me out to the club again after he got back from the museum again. Told me he thought I was acting depressed. You had obviously seen me again. I refused your offer because I was still so scared…" she trails off, running her fingers through my hair.

It feels so good, soothing.

She swallows. "But then I thought, fuck it, and got a key from your landlord and snuck in. I wanted you and wasn't going to take no for an answer. The next five nights were repeats and I knew you liked it. But I had thought that you knew it was real and not just some dream…And when I saw your face this morning, I knew it wasn't true."

Bella locks eyes with me again and I see all of her pain and sorrow, baring her soul to me.

"I'm sorry, Edward. You'll never know how sorry I am for putting you through what I did," she sobs, tears running down her beautiful face.

I wipe them away with the pads of my fingers.

Angels shouldn't cry.

"You shouldn't be sorry, Bella," I whisper to her, trying to sooth her pain. "You only did it because you wanted to protect me. I would have done the same if I was in your place…"

* * *

><p><strong>Kinda heavy, huh? So now that you have the full explanation, tell me what you think.<strong>


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 39**

I sit back in my desk chair and try to digest everything that Bella's told me.

"I know it's a lot, Edward, but it's true," she tells me as I squeeze her tightly to my chest.

"But there's one thing that I don't understand," I tell her.

She looks up at me curiously. "What? What is it?"

"How could the Quileutes even find out about the weapon Mary was creating in the first place?"

Bella frowns and bites on her lip. "That's the same question we keep asking ourselves. There's no way that they could have found out about it. Mary's sons Aro and Marcus wouldn't have told anyone about it and her other son Caius gives sporadic appearances. Never stays very long, too," she tells me as the door flies open.

It's Jasper and he's got a file in his hands that he's concentrating on. "Edward, did you see this? An account was made with us for a full security system for that house you were looking to buy back in college. And guess what? One Miss Isabella Swan was the one to sign."

We stare at him as he continues to walk into my office. He keeps talking, talking, talking and I finally know what he and Alice have in common.

Jazz doesn't stop until Bella decides to speak.

"Yes, Jasper, we can believe that I signed it."

He tenses and slowly looks up at us. "Bella?" he gasps and sputters.

She flashes him a smile and waves as I laugh at look on his face. "Hi."

He sinks down into one of the chairs on the other side of my desk. "Wow…You're really here, Bella."

Jasper looks kind of dazed now.

"Does anyone know you're here? Like here in Seattle, alive?" he asks.

Bella nods. "Yeah, all of my family, a few friends, and now you and Edward." She places a firm kiss on my lips at my name.

Jazz looks between us and stands. "I think I was interrupting something, so I'll just be going," he tells us, backing to the door. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

"Call Rose and Em. Tell them and Alice that we're meeting at Mom and Dad's tomorrow night," I call out to him just as he closes the door.

I sit back in my chair again and pull Bella tight against my chest, breathing in her delicious scent. "I thought I locked that door," I whisper,"

Bella giggles and kisses me.

* * *

><p><strong>More tomorrow.<strong>


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 40**

"So," Bella whispers, her minty breath fanning against my face. "What are we going to do now?"

She presses soft kisses up and down my neck.

A moan leaves my mouth when she moves to straddle me and presses her heat down against me.

She giggles quietly and runs hands up and down my chest.

I kiss her chastely on the lips once, twice, and the third one turns deep.

Bella pulls back first and brings my face into her hands, her expression serious.

"I love you. I will _always_ love you, Edward."

I hold her hands tightly in mine and stare intently at her.

"I know," I tell her. "And I'll love you, Bella, forever and always. You're it for me. There's no one else for me."

She smiles and softly caresses my face.

"I can't believe that you can still love me after what I did, what I put you through," she whispers.

I kiss her softly again. "Of course I can, Bella. I never stopped loving you."

She hugs me tightly and lays her head on my shoulder. "Your life will change now because of me, because of what I told you."

The corner of my mouth turns up at that.

"My life already changed the moment we fell in love back in high school, Bella," I tell her, running my hand up and down her back.

* * *

><p><strong>A kind of fluffy, kind of serious filler. Somewhat important, too.<strong>


	41. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 41**

We're sitting in front of my parents' house.

Everyone is already waiting inside, waiting to see my Bella.

"Are you ready?" I ask, grasping her hand tightly in mine over the center console.

She takes a deep breath and nods, tightening her grip around my hand.

I squeeze her hand and get out and open her door. "Everything will be okay, Bella," I tell her as we walk toward the house.

"How do you know?" she asks me.

I smile. "Because they love you, too, and I know for a fact that all they care about is that you're alive and well," I tell her just as Alice comes hurtling towards us.

"Oh, my God, you're here! You're alive, Bella" she screams, attracting the attention of everyone.

And one by one they each hug Bella and tell her how much they missed her.

We move to the living room and she doesn't leave my side.

"Oh, Bella dear, what happened?" Mom asks from beside Dad.

"A lot," she tells them, gripping my hand tighter than ever. "So much has happened. And it all started back in high school. Back in Forks…"

And she goes on to tell them the story, leading up to now.

No one interrupts.

Not that I expected them to.

After she finishes we sit there in silence. Bella looks up at me, anxiously biting her lip again.

I smile reassuringly and pull her lip from between her teeth. "Just give them a moment."

We wait and the first to speak is Emmett. "Can you really shoot a gun?"

Bella laughs and nods her head. "Yes, Emmett, I can."

They continue to ask questions and then I know, know that everything will be okay.

* * *

><p><strong>Anticlimactic in my opinion but everyone has to be on the same page. This may be the calm before the storm.<strong>


	42. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 42**

Weeks have passed.

I've moved into the house and everything has been calm.

I'm happy, truly happy, for the first time in a year. I have my love by my side and know that she'll always be there.

What else could I ever want or need?

I wake to the sound of Bella quietly snapping at someone on the other end of the phone.

"What do you mean you just saw Caius talking to Black down on Main?"

She pauses, listening. "Fine. Fine, I'll tell them. I'll call my dad, my uncle, Aro, and Marcus later today, Seth."

Bella pauses again. "Yes, I'll even tell Arthur if it makes you happy, kid," she tells him, exasperated. "But you do know he's at a dig site back in Egypt again, right?" She laughs and says goodbye before hanging up.

I wrap my arms around her so that I'm spooning her. "What was that about?"

She sighs. "Remember the guy I introduced you to, one of the spies? Seth Clearwater?" I nod, breathing in her scent. Good kid with an easy going personality. "Well he just called me, freaking out. Apparently he saw the third Voltaire brother having a secret meeting with Billy Black."

I remember Bella telling me about him. Billy Black and the other Quileute elders were the ones behind everything.

"Why do you think Caius was talking to him?"

I felt her shrug. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Bella turns in my arms so that we're facing the other. "Do you want to come with me when I go see Aro and Marcus tomorrow?"

"Sure," I tell her, stifling a yawn. "But let's go back to sleep. It's almost one."

She kisses me once and tells me she loves me. I smile and tell her the same as I drift back to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Hmm…I wonder what he was doing talking to Black. Ponder on that while you wait for the next chapter.<strong>


	43. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection <strong>

**Chapter 43**

I wake to tender kisses being pressed against my chest as I do most mornings.

Bella's sex drive seems to have raised more in the past week or so. We've christened every room of this house at least once and my office has seen the most action other than our bedroom.

And when we're in my office I make sure to lock the door.

Unlike last time when anyone could have walked in.

But now, now it's morning and her lips against my skin feels so, so good.

"Bella," I moan as she ventures lower. Another moan leaves my lips when she takes me in my mouth.

I guide her and when I can't take her ministrations anymore I pull her up my body until she's right over my aching cock.

"Oh," she moans, throwing her head back when I thrust up into her.

We move in a steady pace that increases with every thrust.

I flip us over and leave a trail of kisses down her chest that make her pant and moan.

She tugs me up her body and pulls me in for a searing kiss. I ravish her lips and move faster at her urging.

"Yes!" she screams. "Right there, Edward. Right there!"

And then she cums around me, her pussy clamping down around me.

I follow soon after as I always do, kissing her soft lips and murmuring her name.

"Mmm," she hums, as I pull her tight to my chest and pepper kisses all over her face. "Best. Morning. Ever."

I smirk. "Definitely."

I feel her smile against me. "Are you up for round two in the shower?"

A laugh hits me. "Of course," I tell her, pulling her to the bathroom with me.

* * *

><p><strong>Just a quickie…More tomorrow.<strong>


	44. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 44**

Bella grips my hand and pulls me into the nondescript brick building.

Only a small gold plaque next to the door outside proclaims it to be Voltaire Industries.

Inside is an equally nondescript lobby with just a desk and a security guard sitting behind it with his feet propped up.

Bella waves to him as we walk to the elevator. "Hey, Alec."

Without looking up from the book in his hands he waves back. "Hey yourself, Bella."

The elevator dings and we step in. It's pristine and fancy compared to the lobby.

When we step off on the seventh floor I can automatically tell the difference between here and downstairs. Here there seems to be more life with the color scheme and the aquarium with the exotic fish swimming in it.

A man approaches us and he has dark hair smoothed back from his face and a wide smile plastered on it.

"Ah, Miss Bella, to what do I owe the pleasure of being graced with your presence?" he asks, kissing the back of one of Bella's hands.

Jealousy bubbled up in me until I saw the look of soft adoration in his eyes.

He thought of her as his daughter.

She gives him a tight smile. "I have some news, Aro."

The man, Aro, nods in understanding. "Come, then. We'll speak in my office. Marcus is already here."

He turns his attention onto me, a smile lighting up his face. "You must be the Edward that Bella's told us so much about," he says, grasping my hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Aro Voltaire."

I smile. "It's nice to meet you, too," I say to him as we walk into one of the offices.

"Brother, our dear Bella has come bearing news," Aro announces to the man sitting with his back to us.

He turns and I see a striking semblance between him and Felix.

This must be his father.

"Is that so, Bella?" he asks.

She nods. "It is, Marcus."

* * *

><p><strong>I wonder how the Voltaires will react…Hmmm, anybody got any ideas?<strong>


	45. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 45**

"Are you sure he said Caius, Bella? Why would he even be here?" Marcus trails off, burying his face in his hands.

Bella shrugs. "I don't know, Marcus. Really, I don't…But Seth was completely freaked out on the phone last night. It sounded like he was having a panic attack."

Aro stands and paces back and forth. "Maybe our dear brother finally learned of Mother's passing, Marcus?" he suggests.

"But then why was he meeting with Black in the dead of night?" Bella asks.

The Voltaire brothers shrug, their shoulders slumping in defeat.

I grasp Bella's hand and pull her to me.

I had an idea but I didn't know if it was right.

"Didn't you once tell me that Caius hated Mary? That he once conspired to kill her years ago, before any of this started?" I ask.

Her brow furrows before smoothing out. "You're right, Edward," she breathes, clutching my hand.

Marcus looks up at us, his face pale. It was obvious he heard. "You don't think that Caius is behind all of this? My own brother?"

Aro's step falters at his words.

"It seems to be the only logical explanation. How else would the Quileutes know our patterns and those things about us, about Mary's inventions?" Bella asks.

"From what I've heard from Bella, it sounded like Caius hated both you and your parents," I interject.

Aro sinks back into his chair. "It was more than hate."

Marcus scoffs. "Of course it was more than hate. The bastard was jealous of the relationship we had with our mother. She had offered us the company, not him. Mother knew there was something wrong with him even when we were kids."

As we ride the elevator down, Bella leans into me and wraps her arms around my waist. "It seems that we finally have a reason why all of this happened now."

I hum. "And is this good or bad?'

"I don't know, Edward," she sighs. "Only time will tell."

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, only time will tell…More tomorrow – if you're still following me.<strong>


	46. Chapter 46

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 46**

It's been a few days since we went to see Aro and Marcus.

There have been no new sightings of Caius, not that anyone expected there to be.

Bella's been acting a little funny, always looking behind us when we walk down the street.

Sometimes I think I see her cousins following us with their counterparts, Demetri and Makenna. Twice I've caught her aunt Victoria following us, her bright red hair sticking out like a sore thumb.

Other times I think I see dark skinned Quileutes following me, their expressions dodgy.

Today I know for a fact that Gianna, Charles and their redheaded mother were all following me at some point.

When I get home from work I see Bella's Audi sitting in the driveway.

But I don't see her.

"Bella?" I call out.

I hear a girlish shriek then her voice. "Out here, Edward."

I step out into the backyard and see Bella pinning someone down to the ground. Chuck stands off to the side, an apprehensive look on his face.

"Never leave your back unprotected, that's how you get hurt," Bella says, pulling the figure sprawled out on the ground to their feet.

It's Gianna.

Bella pats her on the shoulder and waves Chuck forward. "Do it again. Just like I showed you."

They nod and move into position before launching themselves at each other. Gianna strikes twice and kicks at Chuck's legs as he blocks her hits. He goes down but tries to get back up. She's too fast for him, though. Gianna is on him and has him in a headlock, a knee digging into his back.

Both pull apart and start all over again.

Bella walks up to me, wiping away the light sheen of sweat. "Hey, baby," she says, wrapping her arms around me.

I hug her to me. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching these two idiots how to protect themselves just in case something happens. They're worse than I thought," she tells me, rolling her eyes.

The twins pause, mid-strike, and glare at us. "Hey! I resent that!" they shout simultaneously.

I ignore them. "Why? Did something happen?"

Bella pulls her lip into her mouth.

"Seth and Leah were attacked last night. Someone found out that they were helping us."

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think? Are Seth and Leah okay?<strong>


	47. Chapter 47

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 47**

I blink owlishly at her shock.

The easygoing kid, Seth, and his hard-ass of a sister, Leah, were attacked?

"What?" I choke out. "Are they okay?"

Bella nods. "Yeah, they're fine other than a few cuts and bruises…And that broken arm of Seth's."

I hold her tight to me. "Do they know who attacked them?"

"They told me that it was a whole group of Quileutes who did it. Ganged up on them and beat the crap out of Seth and Leah," she sighs, eyes distant.

We stand there, silent, before she moves to teach the twins new self defense moves.

I stand off to the side and watch.

She seems so in her element, so focused, as she demonstrates each new kick or hit.

Bella looks so happy helping them.

But there is something in her face that told me that she wasn't fully enjoying herself.

Determination.

That's what it was.

Chuck and Gianna decide to stay for dinner tonight.

We sit mostly in silence but I notice something about the twins that I know Alice and I do not have.

They seem to understand each other in simple gestures and few words.

And just knowing that about them I know that they would easily die for the other if they had to.

Alice and I are not that selfless.

* * *

><p><strong>Huh, all these Swans are really selfless, don't you think?<strong>


	48. Chapter 48

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 48**

With all that has happened recently, I have come to a decision.

And I know deep in my heart that it is the right one.

There is no turning back from this life until all of it is dealt with, so here's hoping that it won't blow up in my face.

It's Labor Day weekend and we're at my parents' house, in the backyard surrounded by family and friends. The only time when we could all get together before work or school gets in the way.

Bella is tucked into my side and Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Jazz are with us. We're reminiscing about high school and all the stupid things we did.

Over by the pool, Chuck's playfully splashing his girlfriend Makenna while Gigi watches with her boyfriend Demetri. His parents, Aro and Sulpicia, and his sister, Renata, sit close by.

Felix sits at one of the tables talking to Arthur. Art's wearing a tee shirt and his Eye of Horus tattoo is on full display.

Felix's parents, Marcus and Didyme, and Art's parents, Ted and Bunny, stand with my parents over by the grill as Dad flips burgers.

I look nervously over my shoulder, the little black box burning a hole in my pants, at Charlie. He's standing with his brother Alistair and Alistair's wife Victoria.

One thought crosses my mind before I kneel on one knee and pull the burning box from my pocket.

That I hope the Chief doesn't kill me.

I pull a deep breath into my lungs before blowing it out.

Alice gasps loudly and squeals, drawing everyone's attention, but I ignore them and focus on Bella.

"Isabella Swan, the one woman that I will only ever love, will you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife?"

I hold my breath and wait, wait for her answer.

* * *

><p><strong>More tomorrow.<strong>


	49. Chapter 49

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 49**

I watch with bated breath as she drops down to her knees.

And with tears in her eyes she smiles.

"Yes, Edward," she whispers, taking my hands in hers. "Always yes."

A sigh of relief passes my lips.

"Thank you," I whisper into her hair, wrapping her tight in my arms.

We stand and I slip my grandmother's ring onto her left hand.

I pull her into my arms again and kiss her, letting every happy emotion flow from me to her in that one kiss.

We pull away and smile at each other. "I love you, Bella," I whisper.

Her smile widens and her eyes shine. "I love you, too, Edward."

The tight bubble we have around us bursts when Alice and my mother start to converge on us. In the background I hear everyone start to clap for us.

One by one, everyone approaches us, offering their congratulations.

And here, surrounded by family and friends, I know, know that there is hope.

* * *

><p><strong>Short, I know, but everything will start to pick up soon…Hopefully ;)<strong>


	50. Chapter 50

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 50**

I stand proud and tall, holding tightly onto her hands.

A wide grin spreads across my face and Bella returns one just as big.

"I love you," I mouth.

Her eyes shine and skin glows in happiness. "I love you, too," she mouths back.

We decided to keep the ceremony small and casual despite Alice's begging.

She wanted us to wait and do the big wedding but she didn't know.

Didn't know about the dark cloud looming over our heads, threatening us all.

There was no time for waiting when at any moment we could die a painful death.

It's September 13th. My Bella's birthday.

Our wedding day.

I'm wearing black dress pants and a white button up underneath the matching suit jacket.

Bella's wearing a simple white dress and she seems to be glowing in it.

She's beautiful.

We're at city hall in a simple room with a judge marrying us.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rose, my parents and Charlie are all here to witness our happiness.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," he says. "You may now kiss the bride."

I pull her into my arms and kiss her, capturing her lips with mine and hold her tight.

A contented smile graces her face when we pull away and I know one is on mine.

"Hi, Mrs. Cullen." Just hearing it makes my smile widen.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen." She gives a soft chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I ask before they converged on us.

"I've always wanted to be your wife since I first saw you in high school and now I am."

I chuckle. "Yes, you are."

* * *

><p><strong>Sweet and fluffy, don't you think? More tomorrow.<strong>


	51. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 51**

Bella and I are taking a stroll through the park, that night last year nothing but a distant memory from another life.

I might have only gotten the full story about a month and a half ago, but it was long enough for me to accept that Bella did it because she loved me.

We stop under the lamp the lamp post, light bathing our faces.

"I love you," I whisper, taking her face in my hands and pressing my lips softly to hers.

"I love you, too, Edward," she breaths, retuning my kiss. "So much."

We stand there, sharing kisses.

I don't know how long we do but it was long enough for everything to change.

A man, wearing a dark sweatshirt with the hood pulled up concealing his identity, approaches us. And, as if in slow motion, he pulls out a gun and aims it at us.

Bella throws herself in front of me and shoves me down, down to the ground.

I miss everything but hear three shots ring loud and clear and a gut wrenching scream.

I look up and see both down. The man no longer moves but Bella - _oh, Bella_ - she's struggling to pull her breathes through her teeth.

There's blood everywhere, pooling beneath her body.

I kneel beside her and attempt to staunch the blood with my jacket.

"Please," I sob. "Please don't leave me. I just got you back, Bella!"

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think is going to happen? Is Bella going to die? Or will the hit man get up and kill Edward, too?<strong>

**Give me your ideas…More tomorrow.**


	52. Chapter 52

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 52**

"Edward!"

I look up at the sound of my name being screamed throughout the park.

"Edward! Bella! Where are you guys?"

My heart starts to race at the idea of there being help.

Or another threat.

They call our names again and I recognize the voices as Gianna and Chuck.

"Gigi! Chuck! We're over here!"

Barely a moment later they've found us. Charles is steadily spewing out information to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Gianna's kneeled beside me, taking over the compression on Bella's wound.

"What happened, Edward? Chuck and I had gotten a call from Mom that Caius had called in a hit nearby…I didn't think it would be you guys." Gianna trails off as she glances at Chuck.

"We need to take her to the hospital ourselves," he says, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

"My dad should be there," I tell them, stroking Bella's hair back.

Their heads snap to me and they simultaneously screech, "NO!"

Chuck drops down beside us and puts his jacket under Bella. "We can't go to him, Edward. Every time someone is admitted to a hospital with a bullet wound it has to be reported to the police. Your dad will want to go by protocol and the cops will question you both." He pushes Gianna away and points to the body. She nods and goes.

He looks back at me. "This is a spat between family and it's mostly a conspiracy anyway. So it's best to just bring Bella to my dad, Edward."

Bella grips my hand tightly and we lock eyes.

_I won't lose you, Bella. I won't…_

Gigi comes back, a bloody switchblade in her hand. "He's dead. Bella stabbed him five times in vital organs. And I found three bullets. Only one hit Bella."

Chuck takes Bella's other hand. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad is your pain?"

She digs the nails of her uninjured arm, her right one, into his. "A fucking twelve, Charles. A fucking twelve!" she rages.

He grimaces and we help her stand and walk to the car, her wound no longer bleeding as heavily anymore.

I sit in the back, Bella tucked into my side, and let Chuck get behind the wheel of my Volvo.

Gianna stays behind to take care of the body and the blood as we go.

After what seems like forever, we finally get to the hospital with Alistair waiting for us outside.

* * *

><p><strong>More tomorrow.<strong>


	53. Chapter 53

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 53**

It's been a few hours.

Bella hasn't woken up but Alistair says that she's fine. The bullet had gone right through her left shoulder and left behind a clean wound apparently. I don't know.

I can't sleep, not now. Not when I don't know if she'll wake or not.

Alice has come in twice to come see us. First to drop off some clothes. Second to see how I was feeling.

I told her I was okay when we both knew that was a lie. There was no way in hell that I was okay. I just saw my wife get shot by some crazy fucker.

Everyone else has shied away, giving us privacy. Only Bella's cousins are brave enough to come in.

It's obvious that no one has told Dad. Otherwise he would have been the first to come.

Alistair's back now, holding what looks like Bella's charts.

"Well, it looks like she's okay, Edward. Just needs to rest for a little while," he tells me, trailing off as he flips through it.

"When can she leave?" I ask, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Hmm?" he asks, distracted. I look up at him and see him intently looking at one of the pages of Bella's chart.

"I asked you when Bella can be discharged, Alistair."

He quickly flips the chart closed and tucks it under his arm, giving me an overly cheerful smile.

"In a couple of days. I want to keep her here for observation for a little while then she can go home." He smiles again, but more relaxed this time. "Bella will be okay, Edward. She's a fighter," he says before walking out of the room, chart still tucked under his arm.

I stare after him for awhile before focusing back on Bella. Trying to will her to wake up.

Not much is clear on why they attacked us but one thing his apparent.

Alistair's hiding something.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think our dear Uncle Alistair is hiding, hmmm?<strong>


	54. Chapter 54

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 54**

I don't remember falling asleep, but I wake to soft lips pressing against my own.

"Edward, wake up," she whispers, brushing my hair away from my face. "Edward."

I open my eyes and return her kiss, smiling into it. "How do you feel?"

She laughs lightly, mindful of her shoulder. "Like I was fucking ran over by a truck and kind of high to tell you the truth. I think Uncle Alistair pumped me with too many drugs."

I laugh with her and we fall silent again.

Half an hour later Alistair comes back, charts in hand.

He smiles but it looks almost forced. And he has this anxious look in his eyes.

Bella seems to pick up on it, too. "What's wrong? Uncle Alistair, did someone else get hurt?"

He shakes his head, instantly calming her. "No, no, nothing like that, Bella. It's just...I have some news and I don't know how you two are going to take it."

I tense at his words and pull Bella tight to me. "Just tell us. It can't be as bad as Bella getting shot last night."

Alistair mumbles something unintelligible but we still get the gist of it.

Bella's first to react. I'm just too shocked to respond. "What? What did you say? Did you just say what I think you said?"

I stare at Bella and place my hand over her stomach.

I feel a soft smile light up my face as Alistair speaks.

"I checked your charts several times, Bella, and had your blood work done twice. There's no denying this. It's printed in black and white...So, congratulations." He backs out of the room leaving us alone.

Bella places both of her hands over the one I have on her stomach and smiles, tears streaming down her face.

"We're going to be parents," she whispers, kissing my cheek.

I stare at her in awe. "Yeah, we are."

* * *

><p><strong>So, how many of you guessed that coming? ;) More tomorrow.<strong>


	55. Chapter 55

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection <strong>

**Chapter 55**

The door flings open and Charlie comes barging in. He gives a grimace when he sees Bella.

"How are you feeling, kiddo?" he asks, placing a bouquet of orchids and peonies next the other flowers that were delivered while we slept.

"Euphoric. And like I was run over by a truck."

Charlie gives her a dubious look. "That's a weird combination there, Bella," he tells her, looking between us. He gives us his cop look when we share a smile.

"Okay. What's _really_ going on, you two? I know you're keeping something from me." He squints at us, mustache twitching.

Bella smiles and grips his hand. "It's nothing _bad_, Dad."

A laugh bubbles up my throat. "It's definitely not bad. Great actually. Wonderful, even," I tell him.

He looks at us like we're crazy. "What's going on here? Just tell me."

I place a hand back over Bella's stomach and she covers mine with both of hers. We smile at Charlie as he looks back and forth at our hands and at the soft smiles on our faces.

"You're pregnant?" he whispers, laying a hand over ours.

We nod, watching him.

Charlie smiles, reveling. "My baby's having a baby!" He covers his mouth, eyes wide in shock.

We stare, taken aback.

Slowly, slowly Charlie pulls his hand away and stares blankly at the wall behind us.

"I'm turning into your mother," he chokes out dazed.

* * *

><p><strong>So, did you like Charlie's little outburst? ;P<strong>

**Orchids = ****Delicate beauty**

**Peonies = Healing**

**Reviews = Teasers to the next chapter**


	56. Chapter 56

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 56**

After Charlie leaves, his face dark red in embarrassment, Alistair comes back in to check on Bella's dressing.

"So," he starts, putting a fresh dressing on her wound, "why did my brother come rushing out of here like his ass was on fire?"

Bella laughs after he finishes replacing the gauze. "Dad just freaked himself out after we told him I was pregnant."

Alistair stares at us, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Oh yeah? How did Charlie do that?"

"He said something Renée would have," I tell him.

He smirks. "Wish I'd been there to see that," he sighs. His expression turns more serious then. "How _is_ your mom, Bella?"

I look to her, too. Bella hadn't told me anything about her.

Last I'd heard Renée was in LA looking for…something.

Bella looks down and plays with my wedding band. "She's good. A little scared, maybe, but she's good."

"She still in Phoenix, Bella?" Alistair asks.

She nods. "But she's coming home soon now that it's obvious that Caius isn't there anymore."

"Wait," I say. "Renée's been keeping tabs on Caius?"

They both nod. "She was the only one brave enough to follow him when he suddenly stopped talking to the Voltaires," Alistair tells me.

"And then when Caius started acting funny – or _funnier_ – Mom _insisted_ on going. Nothing happened at first…Then she said he started getting hostile. She became afraid of what would happen if he ever found out she was following him. We all did…" Bella trails off and we fall silent.

Moments later Alistair gives us a tight smile and turns to leave. "You'll be able to leave tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. But right now, you have some visitors, Bella."

"Who?" she asks.

Alistair smiles mysteriously and walks out.

She looks to me, eyes questioning.

I shrug and place a kiss against her temple. "Alistair wouldn't let anyone in if he didn't think it was safe," I tell her.

And then we wait.

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like everyone's getting bored…But I'm going to see this to the end!<strong>

**So, more tomorrow ;)**


	57. Chapter 57

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 57**

Barely a minute after Alistair's left the room, the door flies open.

"Hi, Bella! Hi, Edward!" Seth says excitedly, nearly shoving Leah down to the floor in his haste to get to us. She bares her teeth and mimes hitting him behind his back.

We bite our lips to keep from outright laughing.

"Hey, Seth," Bella greets, voice shaky with her laughter.

He grins, teeth bright white against his dark skin, and plops down into the chair beside the bed.

Leah takes off her sunglasses, revealing the fading bruise around her eye, and sits on the arm of the chair. "So, is it true? Caius sent a hit man to kill you guys?"

I feel my eye give a twitch at the thought of almost dying, of almost losing my Bella.

I'd love to wrap my hands around Caius' throat. See how he likes his life being threatened.

Seth's expression turns serious, as he, too, wait on our answer.

"Yeah, he did. But Bella killed the guy," I tell them.

Seth and Leah share a look. "This is the end of everything, right? The end of the killings and the attacks?" Seth asks, voice quivering with hope.

Bella looks away from us out the window. "No," she whispers. "I don't think this is the end…Caius won't stop until he gets the weapon or successfully kills one of us…Or we kill him first."

We sit in awkward silence until Seth leans back in the chair and gives an amused smile.

"Hey, look! We match, Bella," he says pointing at the slings keeping their arms tight across their chests.

Bella, Leah, and I laugh at his attempt to keep us lighthearted.

* * *

><p><strong>More tomorrow.<strong>


	58. Chapter 58

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 58**

It's been two weeks since the attack.

Bella's insisted on me learning how to fight properly so that I won't get seriously injured.

I wouldn't have agreed if it wasn't for the fact that she was pregnant now and everyone, including me, is pushing her to sit all of the time…And there's also her arm, too.

That's why I'm standing in the middle of our backyard much like Chuck did all those weeks ago.

Apprehensive and unsure of what's to happen next.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose all invited themselves over to watch me make a fool of myself.

As if there wasn't enough pressure with just Bella here.

"Woo! You can do it, Edward!" Em hollers. Rose smacks him in the back of the head and rolls her eyes at him.

I turn away in embarrassment.

He was only making it worse.

"Okay," Art says planting his feet firmly on the ground, arms raised and in position. "Do all of that again, Edward, but faster."

A sigh expels from my lungs and I mimic his stance.

As if in slow motion, I watch as his left fist comes flying at me in a jab and I lean away to the right.

His fist misses me by about an inch or two.

I blink quickly and strike with my left then my right, hitting my mark.

Art's hand moves, palm side facing me, and blocks me.

With him sufficiently distracted by my hits, I bring my leg up and kick him right above the back of his knee.

Arthur stumbles once, twice, and then drops to his knees. He holds is hands up in surrender.

"That's good, Edward. Much better," he praises. "I think we can move on now that you've got the hang of that now."

I nod, taking a drink of water.

This was only the beginning of many lessons.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, yes they are, Edward, but they'll all pay off in the end.<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	59. Chapter 59

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 59**

It's Sunday night and we're at my parent's house.

I'm sitting across from Bella at the dinner table and know all is right in this moment.

As expected, all conversation is centered around us.

"Oh, this is so exciting," Mom gushes. "You two are having a baby."

Bella smiles at her then locks eyes with me. "Yeah, we are," she says, hand moving to rest on her stomach like it always does whenever we talk about the baby.

Alice starts to bounce around in her seat next to me. "So, what do you guys think you're having? I think you're going to have a little girl."

I feel the corner of my mouth lift against my will. "Don't you think it's a little early to start taking bets, Alice?" I ask.

She shakes her head at me and gives me a wide smile. "Nonsense, Edward. It's never too early for anything."

There's this sparkle in her eye that makes me think that's she's already started to buy things for the baby.

Bella rolls her eyes at us. "I don't care what we're having as long as he or she is healthy," she declares, taking a bite of the chocolate cake Rose made for dessert.

"What do you think, dear?" Mom asks.

I lock eyes with Bella. "A little girl with beautiful brown eyes like her mommy."

All of the girls coo while she just smiles and shakes her head at me.

"Oh, please," Emmett deadpans. "I think you're going to have a boy," he says, pointing his chocolate covered fork at us. "Then you can teach him all kinds of things…"

Everyone starts to ignore him when he begins to list off some of the stupidest things known to man.

I don't even want to know where he comes up with these things.

Eventually he starts to get louder and louder. Loud enough to stop all conversation.

Mom and Dad sit back and let Rose do all of the talking.

"Emmett? Can you do us all a favor and shut the hell up?" she asks, voice filled with false sweetness.

He snaps his mouth shut and nods. "Yes, Rosie," he whispers, shrinking away from her glare.

We snicker at them, finding lightheartedness in this time of darkness.

Hopefully it lasts.

* * *

><p><strong>Dangerous, dangerous times these are, don't you think?<strong>


	60. Chapter 60

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 60**

I don't know where the hell it came from, but one thing is for sure. I already don't like it.

I'm standing at the top of a hill overlooking the city.

It's dark and stormy.

Lightning strikes lighting the sky, giving everything an eerie edge to it.

Rain pelts my face from every direction and I can barely make anything out.

"Edward!" a voice screams out from behind me.

I turn and see Bella clutching a little girl, barely three years of age, tightly to her chest. She looks scared, eyes wide in fear as she stares at me.

"Bella!" I scream when this guy with a mask covering his face comes up behind them with a butcher knife in his hand.

No matter how fast I try to run to Bella and the little girl it's like with every step I take I never get any closer.

And I watch in horror as the guy brings his arm back and stab, stab, stabs Bella.

"Edward," she mouths before her eyes turn glassy and then she's dead.

It feels as if a knife has been plunged into my heart and someone's twisted it. I can barely pull a breath of air into my lungs as I drop to my knees.

The point of the knife is pushed deeper into my body when the little girl screams "Daddy!" before prying herself from her mother's cold, dead arms and attempts run to me.

I pull myself to my feet and force myself to run to her as fast as I can.

As soon as I'm close enough, I scoop my daughter into my arms and attempt to run away from the mad man.

But I'm not fast enough.

The fucking bastard who fucking stopped to _pull_ the fucking knife from Bella's body and wipe it _clean_ still catches us.

I clutch her tightly to my chest. "I love you, baby," I whisper to her fiercely.

She looks up at me with big brown eyes. "I love you, too, Daddy."

And then it ends and I wake up in a cold sweat with Bella stroking my face, whispering that it was just a nightmare.

* * *

><p><strong>Worst nightmare anyone could ever have. More tomorrow.<strong>


	61. Chapter 61

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 61**

I grab her hand and hold it to my face.

"Edward," she whispers, frightened eyes probing my face.

I shake my head at her.

It was bad enough the first time, talking about it will only make it worse.

We sit there in silence, waiting for my heart to go back to its regular rhythm.

"I love you," I whisper, kissing the palm of her hand.

Her eyes soften at my admission. "I love you, too."

Eventually we lie back down and fall asleep again only to wake again barely an hour later, the sky eerily similar to the one in my outlandish dream.

Slowly, slowly we walk down the stairs and answer the door.

Bella insisted on bringing the sawed-off shotgun she keeps in the back of our closet with us. Not that I blame her after that nightmare I just had.

Better safe than sorry.

And there's also the fact that no one randomly knocks on someone's door at two in the morning. It's not normal.

As soon as she opens the door I lower the gun. Because standing on our doorstep is a soaking wet Renée. Her short light brown hair is plastered to her face and her wide blue eyes are trained on the sawed-off.

"Mom?" Bella gasps.

Renée smiles at us, finally taking her eyes off of the gun. "Hi, baby," she whispers, hugging Bella as tightly as she dared with her arm.

We usher her inside and wrap her in blankets first chance we get.

"I can't believe you're home," Bella whispers in awe once we get settled.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, Renée's home! Finally, she's part of the story!<strong>

**More tomorrow.**


	62. Chapter 62

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 62**

"Oh, baby, your dad told me what happened. I'm sorry that I couldn't come sooner," Renée coos looking sympathetically at Bella's arm.

Bella bites her lip and looks down. "It's okay, Mom. It's not your fault that bastard sent someone to kill me and Edward."

I set the steaming mug of coffee down in front of Renée then sit down beside Bella.

We sit in silence while she sips on her coffee and watches us as she does so.

It should unnerve me, her staring, but it doesn't.

Renée was always a little odd at times.

Just as I'm about to doze off in my seat, I hear a gasp and tense, ready for something to jump out at us.

"What? What is it, Mom?" Bella asks, eyes probing her face.

She shakes her head and covers her mouth with both hands, tears in her eyes.

"You guys got married?" she whimpers looking at the bands on our fingers.

I sigh in relief. I thought there was an unwanted guest in the house.

The corners of Bella's mouth lift. "Yeah, we did. A few weeks ago, actually. On my birthday."

"It was just a small little ceremony at city hall," I tell her.

She frowns. "Oh, I'm so sorry I missed it. I was…you know," she trails off and looks away.

"It's okay, Mom," Bella says, placing a hand over her mother's. "Did Dad tell you we're having a baby?"

She shakes her head. "No, but then again, Charlie didn't tell me you got married."

I raise a brow. "But he told you Bella got shot?" I ask rhetorically.

"Oh, I'll deal with Charlie when I get back to Forks," she says, rolling her eyes. "But, really, congratulations." She comes around to hug us both before we all go upstairs and back to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like this is a filler…Do you think this is a filler?<strong>


	63. Chapter 63

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 63**

I'm sitting in my office with Jasper going over the reports so far for October when the door flies open and Bella walks in.

"Bella?" I ask.

She sniffles once before rushing into my arms.

Jazz stands and closes and locks the door before sitting back down.

I run my hand up and down her back, trying to sooth her. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it was terrible, Edward," she rasps into my neck through her tears. "They tried to kill us in the middle of the store."

Jasper leans forward, eyes intense. "Was Alice with you?"

She shakes her head. "No, she was on the other side of the mall…But those fuckers opened fire on us in the middle of that costume store over by the food court!"

"What fuckers?" I ask her.

I could only think of one group of people who would be dubbed with that title.

"Quileutes," she spits venomously.

"What happened, Bella?" I ask her, my voice anxious.

Anything could have happened these days and none of the things that come to mind are all that good.

"We were standing in the middle of the store, minding our own business, helping the twins pick their costumes out when they literally come out of nowhere. Everyone around us freaks out and runs out of there when they pull out their little guns. And then Rose, _Rosalie_, of all people…" she trails off, shock and awe evident in her voice.

"What about my sister? What did she do?" Jazz asks, eyes wild.

"She pulled a gun from her purse and shot two of them. She shocked the hell out of us so much that we just stood back and watched her." Bella gives a strangled laugh, eyes distant as she remembered something. "And then Chuck and Gigi took care of the others after they took away my gun. There were five of them…

"Sam Uley,

"Paul Lahote,

"Jared Cameron,

"Embry Call,

"And Quil Ateara – and they're all dead, too." Bella gives a derisive snort. "Serves them right for following Caius' orders."

I stare down at her in shock. "Caius sent them?"

She nods and locks eyes with me, expression grave. "He did."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, those are the last of Caius' cronies.<strong>

**Remember: Reviews = Teasers**


	64. Chapter 64

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 64**

We're walking down the street back towards the house.

Mom, Rose, Alice, Renée, and Victoria kicked us out of our own home, saying they had work to do and didn't want us interfering.

I think they're working on the nursery even though Bella's barely four months along.

About three blocks away from the house I hear the sound of footsteps close behind us.

They don't disappear for a block and I start to feel uneasy. I pull Bella tight to my side and bring my lips to her ear, making it look as if I was just kissing her cheek.

"I think someone's following us," I breathe.

She gives a loud giggle and wraps her arms around me. "I know…Whoever it is is getting closer, too," she whispers, laying her head on my shoulder.

We walk for half a block, the footsteps getting closer to us with every step. They get faster and faster before the person is a foot behind us and grabs at the back of my jacket, throwing me down to the ground.

Bella lets out a shriek of outrage, ready to attack our attacker, but I swipe his legs out from underneath him before she has the chance.

I get back up at the same time as he does and block the fist that comes flying at me.

He tries to hit me again and I shove him away from me only for the attacker to come barreling at me, knocking me down to the ground.

A sharp pain hits my side and I know that my ribs will be bruised in the morning.

I look up and see Bella marching up to our attacker. I want to tell her not to do it, but the look she gives me tells me not to say anything.

She goes right up to him and knees him right in the balls. He gives a sharp breath that turns into a cry of pain when she tugs roughly at his arm, pulling it out of its socket before he dropped.

He crumbles to the ground howling in pain.

Bella kicks him hard in the gut with the toe of her Converse. "Stay the fuck away from us, Caius, or a dislocated shoulder won't be the least of your problems! Do you fucking understand me?" she snarls. He nods quickly before crawling away back the way we came.

A beat passes before I stand up and pull her into my arms.

"That was Caius?" I ask.

She nods stiffly as we start to walk back to the house, faster now. "Yes. He's turning desperate now. Doing the attacking himself instead of hiring people to do the dirty work for him."

"Will that be the last time we see him?"

She shakes her head no.

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><p><strong>Well, that was the first step of the <strong>**5 Steps to Caius Voltaire's Ultimate Demise****. More tomorrow.**

**Remember: Reviews = Teasers.**


	65. Chapter 65

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 65**

"What took you two so long? You said you were just going around the corner," Tori asks once we get back in.

Bella shakes her head at her aunt and goes straight to the kitchen, no doubt to make some tea.

She does that every time something upsets her.

Alice's brow is furrowed in confusion when she walks out of the kitchen a moment later.

"What's wrong with Bella? She just completely ignored me," Alice says, dropping onto the couch next to me. "She never does that."

I sigh.

A hurt Alice is never good.

I wrap an arm around my twin. "Don't mind her, Alice. We just had a little run in with Caius."

"What?" Renée whispers in disbelieving shock as she walks into the room.

I nod. "It's true, but Bella was able to injure him before he could do any damage."

"My God," she whispers to herself, looking out the window.

She was probably looking for signs of the bastard himself for all I knew.

Rosalie walks into the room with Mom close on her heels, a smirk prominent on her face. "Have I ever told you that your wife is such a badass?"

Before I have the chance to answer, Bella comes out of the kitchen and sits down beside me.

"Yeah, you have, Rose. Numerous times," she answers, taking a sip of her tea, eyes twinkling in good natured humor.

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><p><strong>More tomorrow.<strong>

**Reviews = Teasers…if I get to them in time…**


	66. Chapter 66

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 66**

We're walking back to the car in the parking garage of the mall here in downtown Seattle.

Bella and I had just finished our first round of Christmas shopping with her parents.

The trip was…_exciting_ to say the least.

Twice Charlie tried to persuade me to buy a gun.

But I told him that we had enough guns in the house already and I knew how to use each and every one of them if I had to.

Twice Renée tried to get Bella to buy some obnoxious cuckoo clock that would have been just _perfect_ in our kitchen.

Please note the sarcasm.

About halfway to my Volvo I start to hear staggering footsteps behind us and I have a sense of déjà vu of that night two weeks ago, right before Thanksgiving.

I look to Bella and see that she's already alerted to the sound. She shakes her head and holds a finger to her lips, rolling her eyes.

"Daddy," she whispers, swatting his arm. He brushes her off. "Dad," she hisses, shoving him in the small of his back.

We all stop and watch as Charlie spins around to face her. "What is it, Bella?"

"We're being followed." She gives him a sweet smile before pulling me with her so that we're walking in front of them.

A beat passes before we all start towards the car again.

The footsteps advance, almost like their running after us in the parking garage.

I move to stand in front of Bella at the same time that Charlie and Renée simultaneously draw out these knives with blades that were as big as their heads from God knows where.

Caius jumps out from behind one of the cars and throws himself at us.

It seems like he doesn't see the knives when Renée takes the first strike.

He screams like a little girl when the blade slices the skin of his arm but tries to get the knife away from her anyway.

Charlie and Renée take turns slicing at his skin every time he attempts to barrel pass them and get to us.

Renée seems to be enjoying his pain because she's more…_enthusiastic_ compared to Charlie. Maybe I'm looking too into it.

Then Caius drops down to the ground, moaning in pain, nursing his new wounds.

"Stay away from us. Stay away from _all_ of us. Understand?" she hisses at him. He nods.

As we start back towards my car, I see a shadow grow and lunge at us.

And then I hear a bang and look back.

Charlie had just shot Caius in the knee.

"Well, he won't be trying that again anytime soon," he says, mustache twitching.

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><p><strong>Step 2 down, 3 to go. <strong>

**Remember: Reviews = Teasers.**


	67. Chapter 67

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 67**

Since the incident at the parking garage at the mall four days ago everything's been calm.

Charlie and Renée have insisted on staying with us for another couple of days just in case.

And on top of that, everyone has been on edge.

No one goes out alone.

Especially not now.

Not with that mad man who wants to kill us with his bare hands.

The most curious thing of all is that no one has seen Caius at all.

Almost like he's slinking around the city undetected like a dirty rat.

A couple of times Bella and I've sat down with Aro and Marcus and asked them a few questions.

Like, why is Caius specifically going after our family instead of them?

Or, how did Caius get in league with the Quileutes?

Apparently we were like family to Aro and Marcus and that was all that Caius wanted.

But since he was so crazy, it didn't look like it was in his cards.

So he decided to take it away from his brothers since he couldn't have it himself.

And the other question, well, there's no definite answer to that one.

Could be any number of things.

I only hope that it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass.

* * *

><p><strong>Filler for in between the action…Otherwise, all we'd see would be everyone getting to get a chance to kick Caius's ass ;)<strong>

**Remember: Reviews = Teasers**


	68. Chapter 68

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 68**

What started out as a normal Saturday morning turned to hell in barely five minutes.

Bella and I were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when all of a sudden we hear the sound of broken glass somewhere in the house.

We look at each other before moving towards the furthest corner away from the doorway.

I push her into the small alcove and hold a finger to my lips. Her eyes widen in shock when she realizes what I'm about to do.

"Edward, no," she mouths, fisting her tiny hands into my shirt. I give her a small smile and a kiss before pulling away and grabbing the bat from beside the fridge.

Slowly I walk around the first floor of the house until I find the broken window. Little glass shards litter the floor but I ignore them and continue through the house.

I pause and listen. The creak of the floorboards ahead alerts me of the fact that someone was nearing the kitchen. Without thinking I ran after the intruder and once I had my eyes on him I jumped him. We struggled and I all I saw was long dark hair and flying fists. I knew it wasn't a woman because if it was, this was the largest woman I had ever seen.

Me and the intruder struggled until we somehow got outside.

I kept hitting and hitting and hitting until he started to pull a gun out. "She's mine, you son of a bitch!" he screamed out.

I pulled back and struggled with him for the gun until finally it was in my grasp.

Without a second thought I shot him.

I stood, full of relief until the sound of a shotgun blast sounded from behind me. I jumped and turned around.

"Bella!" I said, exasperated. She should have just stayed in the house.

She shrugged and placed the shotgun down by the backdoor. "What? His father was going to shoot you!" And sure enough the dead man in the wheelchair had a gun in his lap.

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><p><strong>Long time no see. I hope that this was up to par with my month long absence. Personal issues and a bad bout of flu had me off radar.<strong>

**This should be finished by Sunday.**


	69. Chapter 69

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 69**

I sighed and trudged through the snow covered backyard until I was standing on the deck with her in my arms.

"Who are they?" I ask, watching the blood seep from the bodies, turning the snow a murky dark red.

Bella pointed to the man in the wheelchair. "That's Billy Black and the one you shot was his son, Jacob. They were both Quileutes."

"Jacob said something to me before I shot him," I tell her. She looks at me questioningly. "He said that you were his."

I watch as her eyes widen in recognition as she stared up at me. "Son of a bitch," she swore. "That's why they're helping Caius."

"What do you mean?"

She lifts her chin toward the father and son. "Ever since high school we were in high school, Jacob Black has had this idea built off of the legends he grew up on. About how his people could turn into wolves. And from this story he heard of imprints – the one person they're supposed to be with."

I look at her in shock. No, that can't be… "You don't mean that he…" I trail off.

Bella nodded. "He always thought that I was his. Turns out me putting him in the hospital at the edge of his life our senior year wasn't enough. When Dad found out that Billy was all in favor of his son pursuing me even though we were together, he cut all ties with them and that was around the same time that we found out that the Quileutes were the ones starting the fires, the same ones that killed Bree and James.

"We should have made the connection back then with Billy being one of the elders on their council. Caius had gone to the Quileutes because he wants his family dead and since my family, our family, is close to his he needed a connection, a reason for them to help him." She snorts in derision and rolls her eyes. "They deserved what they got this morning for helping that bastard…"

I nodded.

Bella was right.

They did deserve that, especially for trying to kill me, for take my wife away from me and for siding with that asshole to help exterminate a family.

"Come on," I say, wrapping my arm around Bella. "We need to make a few phone calls."

* * *

><p><strong>Now we know why they were helping Caius…<strong>

**We're almost done, just a few more chapters to go.**


	70. Chapter 70

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 70**

I'm sitting in my office going through some last minute accounts when it happens.

The door to my office bursts open and Caius limps in.

He snarls at me while I stare at him in shock. "You, that little bitch, and her family did this to me," he growls.

I sit back in my chair and stare at him. He looks crazed and is waving around this long fucking knife as he speaks.

Blindly I run my hand underneath my desk, looking for that damn button.

In the back of my mind I idly wonder who the hell let this crazy bastard into the building.

Reminder to self: Fire the dumbass who let him passed the front desk.

Finally, _finally_, I find the button and continually press it, expecting some of my security guys to come running in.

And then I remember that Jasper told me that it was broken.

I watch Caius warily as he stalks back and forth in front of my desk, mumbling some nonsense to himself as he continues to wave that knife. He really looks like he's lost his mind.

And then the door opens and Art conveniently walks in.

"Hey, Edward. I just came in to drop off some of this paperwork before I caught my flight." He trails off once he notices who's in the room.

Caius pauses to stare at Art and then charges at him.

I watch in slow motion as Art dodges the knife, knocks it out of Caius grip, and then kicks his legs out from beneath him, knocking the man onto his ass. Caius struggles back to his feet.

Art pities him and helps him up by holding him by the collar of his jacket. And then he pulls his arm back and punches Caius in the face, knocking him out.

Art drags his unconscious body out of my office and then comes back in two minutes later.

He picks up his papers and sits down across from me. "Are you okay?"

I frown and shake my head. "I don't know, Art. I just had a mad man in my office."

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><p><strong>I know I said Sunday, and I know that was like eight months ago, but I plan to finish this drabble to the end.<strong>


	71. Chapter 71

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 71**

I drive home in a daze.

I can't believe that I own a security firm and no one in the entire building saw a mad man walk in.

He was limping, had an arm in a sling, and had a knife. He even had that crazy look on his face that screamed, "I don't care who you are, but I'm going to kill you if you get in my way."

When I get home Bella comes running out of the house.

She pulls me out of my car and wraps me in a tight hug.

She tells me that she's so glad that I'm okay, that Caius didn't hurt me.

I hug her back just as tightly and when we pull apart I see tears glistening down her beautiful face.

I wipe them away and pull her in for a kiss.

"I love you," she whispers. "I love you so much."

I hold her face delicately in my hands and stare into her chocolate eyes. "I love you, too. Both of you," I say, resting my hand softly on her swollen belly.

We kiss one last time before going into the house, leaving all of our troubles behind us outside.

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><p><strong>Yay! A chapter that didn't take eight months to write!<strong>


	72. Chapter 72

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 72**

Bella and I are at her aunt and uncle's house having dinner with them.

When we told them about what had happened at my office a few days ago Victoria wanted to go and kill Caius right then and there.

Luckily Alistair was able to calm her down before she got up from the table to get her shotgun and leave.

Too bad. I would have loved to have her or anybody really, go and kill him.

It was starting to get old and really annoying fast. Caius would pop up, threaten lives, and then crawl back into whatever hole he had been hiding in before starting the cycle all over again.

"So, when do you think Caius'll get killed?" Chuck asks, shoveling some more food into his mouth and talking around it.

His mother scolds him for talking with his mouth full while Gianna yells at him, telling her twin to stop being gross.

Bella shrugs. "I don't know, but soon hopefully. I want him gone before the baby's born."

"I hope he doesn't ruin Christmas," Gianna says. "That would just be like him, too. Ruin a happy day for everyone."

Chuck snorts loudly and waves his fork at his twin as he speaks. "That would be great if he came at Christmas, Gigi. We could get rid of him once and for all. That'd be the best present ever."

Victoria rolls her eyes at her children before asking me to pass the bread.

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter finished. So there are only two more chapters and then the epilogue left…Almost finished.<strong>


	73. Chapter 73

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 73**

It's after dinner and Bella and I are getting ready to leave for the night.

I'm standing at the doorway of the house with Chuck at my side. He's telling me about a fight he got into with someone at his school, waving his arms to make it seem like it was bigger a deal than it really was.

Alistair and Victoria stand behind us, chucking at their son's enthusiasm. If Chuck was anyone else's son, his parents would have been angry.

But not them.

Only Charles Swan's parents would be very proud to say that their son got into a fight at school and was able to defend himself.

Bella and Gianna are standing over by the Volvo. I can't hear what they're saying but I can hear Bella laugh at whatever her little cousin has told her.

I smile, happy to hear the sound of her beautiful laughter again.

But then everything goes silent.

I turn to see what Chuck and his parents are staring at and can't help but do the same.

It's Caius and he's standing at the end of the driveway, propped up by a crutch.

He drops the crutch and staggers forward toward Bella and Gianna, pulling some type of knife from his jacket.

Gigi pushes Bella to stand behind her. Caius advances on her and the two grapple for couple minutes as she tries to keep the knife off her. Suddenly she grabs his wrist and forces his hand back, making him drop the knife.

Bella moves forward to kick it out of Caius' reach when Gianna drops him to the ground with a swift kick to the gut. When he gets to his feet and tries to grab onto her, Bella knees him in the groin.

He crumbles to the ground and curls into the fetal position. When I wasn't paying attention Gianna had picked up his crutch and began to beat the man with it.

"How do you like it? Huh?" she screams at him, punctuating each of her words by hitting him with the crutch. "Now you know what it's like to be on the other end of the stick!"

Alistair places a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. He gives me a grim smile and tells me to take Bella home, that he and Victoria will take care of Caius.

I nod and quickly usher Bella into the car despite her protests to help Gianna. We drive home with Alistair and Victoria dragging Caius down the street in our rearview.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the lateness of this update but it should be finished soon. Like by tomorrow at the latest.<strong>

**Review.**


	74. Chapter 74

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Chapter 74**

It's Christmas Day and we're at my parents' house where it's over crowded with family and friends.

Everything is surprisingly calm considering all that's gone on lately.

There were the four spontaneous attempts on our lives, all courtesy of Caius.

And let's not forget the attack that Jacob Black and his father, Billy, orchestrated to kill me just because I supposedly 'took away his imprint'.

Whatever the hell that meant.

But maybe I spoke too soon.

We're in the middle of opening presents around the overly decorated tree that me and Bella helped my parents decorate when we hear the most peculiar sound.

And then we hear it again.

This launches everyone into action. People grabbing coats and putting on boots.

One by one we file out of the house and stare in dumbfounded awe at a dilapidated Caius Voltaire.

He's sitting in one of those motorized wheelchairs with his back to us.

Again we hear that weird sound.

It's like this _pop_, _fizzzz_ noise.

"Caius! You bastard!" Marcus roars completely enraged as he advances on his brother.

Caius slowly spins the chair around to face us. And there in his lap is a gun with a silencer on it.

I look around him and see that he's shot the tires of two of our cars.

What did he think he was trying to do? Strand us at my parents' house?

"What the hell," Victoria hisses behind me. "What has he done to my baby?" she whimpers looking at her distressed Mercedes with two of the tires shot out.

Aro stalks forward, pushing Sulpicia to stand behind him. "Why can't you leave us alone, Caius? You're supposed to our brother!"

Caius gives a maniacal laugh and holds the gun up. His hands shake and his eyes are wild.

He truly looks like the crazy bastard everyone believes him to be.

"You don't know what it was like to be the least loved, the least favored, by Mother _and_ Father, Aro. All I've ever wanted was to be loved by my parents! You two had _everything_!" he screams, waving the gun around his head. "I hate you both! _All of you!_"

I turn to Bella. He's too far gone and it's no longer safe out here. "Go inside." She nods and backs toward the house, never taking her eyes off the gun, hands wrapped protectively around her swollen belly.

My mother and sister follow her example barely a second later.

A beat passes, the gun still shaking in his hand, and Sulpicia and Didyme run for the cover of the house, dragging Renata, Makenna, and Demetri with them. He tries to bring Gianna, too, but she slaps his hands away and stands her ground.

The gun steadies in Caius' hand then, pointed directly at Didyme's retreating back. Marcus screams an agonized "No!" before lunging for the gun.

And as if in slow motion, I watch as Marcus takes the gun and presses it to Caius' temple. Aro mirrors his position with a gun of his own.

"Then it will only be fitting for us to put you out of your misery, Caius," Aro snarls.

And then they shoot him.

I blink.

"Best Christmas ever!" Chuck cheers before ducking back into the house.

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><p><strong>Very anticlimactic ending, but whatever.<strong>

**I'm so sad to see this story come to an end :( but at least there's an epilogue left :D**

**See you then…**


	75. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Death and Resurrection<strong>

**Epilogue**

It's been several years since the night Aro and Marcus killed their brother. And everything has never been better.

Four years ago I gave birth to my beautiful little girl. She's the most precious thing I hold close to my heart.

Carlie.

That's her name.

She has her father's hair and my brown eyes that Edward absolutely adores. From the moment she was born, Carlie's had all of us wrapped around her little finger since the day she was born.

And I'm glad.

It means that if something were to happen to me or Edward then there would always be someone there for her.

Not that I expect anything to happen.

The darkest parts of our lives are over and done with, behind us.

My mother would like to say that the Christmas before Carlie was born was the worst one our family had ever celebrated. I wouldn't agree with her.

I'm more inclined to agree with Chuck – it was the one of the best we had ever celebrated.

We finally got rid of the one person that had been threatening our happiness for a very long time.

And I've never been this happy.

I have the two most important people in my life forever and I'm never going to let them go.

Edward and Carlie.

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><p><strong>Well that's that. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.<strong>


	76. Author's Note

**A late heads up but I've written an AroxSulpicia story called _A Broken Promise_ and it's up on my profile. So if you want to check it out and give me your thoughts on it, I'll be ecstatic ;)**

**Kisses, FindMeInTheDark**


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